Pakistan Day parade to be held under SOPs

ISLAMABAD:

The Paksiatn Day Parade will be held under strict implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) devised to control the spread of novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infection.

Last year, for the first time since the creation of Pakistan, the parade was cancelled due to lockdown imposed to contain the pandemic.

The upcoming celebrations of Pakistan Day, March 23, will be held across the country mostly virtual by different public and private departments amid the recent intense wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The nation's patriotic spirit, however, has not been dampened as the people throughout the country are gearing up to mark the day with the same enthusiasm and fervour shown in the past along with renewing their pledge to foster unity among their ranks, paying tributes to the national heroes, and praying for the prosperity of Pakistan.

Pakistan Day Parade, which is the main feature of the celebrations, will be held on March 23 in Islamabad with compliance of all the anti-Covid Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

It will be the public holiday on Pakistan Day, which is celebrated annually to commemorate the Lahore Resolution of 1940 that eventually led to the creation of Pakistan.

There will be early morning military and civilian parades in Islamabad with gun salutes in the federal and provincial capitals.

The national flag will be hoisted atop all government buildings and departments and diplomatic missions of Pakistan abroad.

The educational and literary institutions in the federal capital like rest of the country, which are closed due the Covid-19, have planned to arrange different virtual activities, including debate, painting, poetry, articles writing and other competitions with an objective to invoke the interest of younger generation to learn about the sacrifices of their ancestors for the creation of Pakistan.

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Famous brands in the federal capital have started offering sales on dresses, shoes and other accessories to mark the day. It has become a common practice for the brands, online retailers, eateries and even the cab-hailing and salon services to offer good discounts on different occasions and important days that get

Meanwhile, contingents of armed forces are busy in rehearsals and drills at Shakarparian parade ground to celebrate the day in a spectacular way.

Armed forces troops and other departments were being seen busy in rehearsals and making other administrative arrangements for the day.

Residents of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi were also taking keen interest in the rehearsals and visiting nearby areas such as Faizabad and Sector I-8 interchanges to witness aerobatics manoeuvres of fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

According to a Rawalpindi district administration spokesman, over 1,000 students of Rawalpindi also participated in full-dress rehearsals held on March 19 and 21. He informed that Rawalpindi Station Commander Brigadier Ijaz Qamar Kiani during his visit to Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Dhoke Kashmirian and Government Girls Higher Secondary School Shimla Islamia had given invitation to the students to participate in full-dress rehearsals of Pakistan Day parade.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2021.