An enchanting and grandiose ceremony is unfolding at the Jinnah Sports Stadium on this Wednesday evening, celebrating both Marka-i-Haq and Pakistan’s Independence Day with splendor. The nation’s highest-ranking civil and military officials are present, adding an air of gravitas to the occasion.
Present among the distinguished guests are President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, the elegant First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, and the authoritative Inter-Services Public Relations Director General, Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry. The federal and state ministers, along with numerous foreign diplomats, are also in attendance.
Addressing a grand ceremony in the federal capital, the prime minister announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force to strengthen the country’s combat capabilities.
He also inaugurated the symbolic Bunyanum Marsous memorial.
Addressing the audience, Shehbaz said the moment had come to move beyond political division, personal interests, and “empty slogans” and instead adopt a collective mindset to secure the country’s future.
“On this great day, I once again, with an open heart, invite all political parties, stakeholders, and civil society to become part of Misaq-i-Istehkam-i-Pakistan [Charter for Stability of Pakistan],” the prime minister stated.
Shehbaz explained that the proposed charter was not merely a plan to revive the economy but the foundation for a broad-based national agenda. “We must show the world that differences have their own place, but for the sake of our beloved Pakistan, we stand united,” he stressed.
He warned that Pakistan would not give space to any new “fitna” [mischief] after decades of sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. “Protest is a right, but not vandalism; criticism is a right, but not abuse; politics is a right, but not rebellion against the state. We will not allow such elements to take root,” he asserted.
In his speech, the prime minister paid homage to the nation’s founding fathers and ideologues whose leadership and struggle “changed history and geography,” and to the martyrs whose sacrifices shaped the country’s destiny.
He hailed the armed forces for their “historic” performance during the four-day military confrontation with India in May, describing it as a moment when Pakistan’s soldiers “taught India a lesson it will remember for eternity.”
Shehbaz praised Field Marshal Asim Munir as a “great son of the nation” who devised a strategy against India’s “war hysteria” that won acknowledgement from friends and foes alike.
He recounted how India attacked on the basis of falsehoods, confident in its military strength, but was swiftly humbled. “Within four days, India’s pride was buried in the dust,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s forces fought “like a wall of steel”.
The atmosphere brims with excitement as the ceremony showcases thrilling parades by various branches of the armed forces, including impressive military contingents from Türkiye and Azerbaijan joining in the vigor.
Earlier, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal unveiled that the theme of this year’s Independence Day celebrations would be under the banner of Marka-e-Haq, or ‘Battle of Truth’, to emphasize the nation’s steadfast resilience, remarkable progress, and profound pride.
The Pakistan Army coined the term Marka-e-Haq in May to define the tense period of conflict with India from April 22 to May 10, subsequent to the Pahalgam incident in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi, rather provocatively, accused Islamabad of involvement in the attack without presenting any substantiating evidence.