PESHAWAR: The Defence Day of Pakistan was marked on Tuesday with traditional fervour and solemnity in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and tribal areas.
In the provincial capital, the day dawned with the national flag-hoisting on all the formation Headquarters, units and installations. Special equipment display held at Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed Stadium Peshawar Cantt.
The ceremony started with recitation from the Holy Quran. Chief Minister Pervez Khattak was the chief guest. He had a round of the exhibition of the armament. The latest arms and equipment in use of the Pakistan Army were on display.
Serving and retired military officers, junior commissioned officers, Jawans, their families, the officials of the civil administration the students of various schools besides a large number of gathering of general public visited the exhibition.
They were briefed by the army officers at the stalls of Infantry, Armour, Artillery, Engineers, Corps of Signals, Air Defence, Logistic and Frontier Corps. Para-jumps, fly past, folk dances and Army band display attained lot of general public attraction.
A special ceremony was held at Yadgar-e-Shuhada to pay tributes to the Shuhada (martyrs). KP Governor Iqbal Zafar Jhagra along with Lt-Gen (retd) Mumtaz Gul and acting Corps Commander Major-General Shaheen Mazhar Mehmood laid floral wreath at monument and presented salute.
The daylong celebration started with Quran Khawani. Special prayers were offered for the preservation, integrity, sovereignty and solidarity of the country in the unit mosques after Fajr prayers.
Special Darbar’s were held at the units where message of the Army chief for the occasion was read out to the troops and the commanding officers. The message highlighted the significance of the day.
According to an Inter-Services Public Relations press release, a special floral wreath laying ceremony was held at the grave of Captain Karnal Sher Khan shaheed, a recipient of Nishan-e-Haider, at his native town in Swabi district to pay homage to the celebrated and courageous hero of the Kargil war. Brigadier Abdul Sami laid the floral wreath at the Mazar of the shaheed and offered fateha. A smartly turned-out contingent of the Pak Army presented salute to pay respect to the officer.
GHALLANAI: Elders and officials of the political administration in Mohmand Agency celebrated the Defence Day of Pakistan with national zeal and enthusiasm.The main event was organised at the Mohmand Rifles Headquarters in Ghallanai, the headquarters of Mohmand Agency. Among others, the programme was largely attended by the officials of Mohmand Rifles, political administration, tribal elders and tribespeople.
On the occasion, Commandant Mohmand Rifles Colonel Hafiz Asif Iqbal and Political Agent Mehmood Aslam Wazir laid floral wreaths at the Martyrs Monument.Addressing the participants, the political agent said that security were faced with an unconventional enemy for the first time in the history of Pakistan. However, he said, that after more than a decade’s fight against terrorists and militants the security forces of the country had succeeded in establishing peace in the tribal region as well as settled parts.
He said that as many as 206 personnel of Mohmand Rifles, hundreds of Levies and Khassadar forces officials laid down their lives, 373 others injured during the fight against terrorism. He added that while remembering the sacrifices of security forces personnel one could not ignore the invaluable services and sacrifices rendered by the tribespeople in this regard.
HANGU: Speakers on the occasion of Defence Day here on Tuesday vowed not to shy away from offering any kind of sacrifices for the country.Speaking at a simple but impressive programme organised here at Thall Scouts Fort, Brigadier Malik Amir Muhammad Khan presented tribute to the martyrs and Ghazis of the 1965 and 1971 wars.
He vowed that the sacrifices of those martyrs would not go in vain. The programme was also attended by Commandant Thall Scouts Colonel Munir Ahmad Khan and a large number of Frontier Corps officials and jawans.
KALAYA: The Defence Day was marked with national zeal and solemnity at Orakzai Agency’s headquarters Kalaya on Tuesday. Speaking at a ceremony in this regard, Commandant Scouts Colonel Mirza Sohail Yousaf urged the countrymen to help the security forces in eliminating terrorism from the country.
PARACHINAR: The day was observed with national zeal and fervour here on Tuesday. A special ceremony was held at the FC Ground. The day-long celebrations started with Quran Khwani. Special prayers were offered for integrity and sovereignty of the country. Kurram Militia Commandant Colonel Umar Malik and Political Agent Ikramullah Khan distributed prizes among the participants.
MANSEHRA: Rallies and programmers were held to pay homage to the 1965 war heroes who sacrificed lives for motherland. The students and faculty of Helping Hand Institute at Datta took out the rally. The rally culminated at the institution after marching through the Abbottabad Road.
LANDIKOTAL: The army arranged a colorful programmee at the Landikotal Army Cantonment in Khyber Agency to mark the day. Commandant Khyber Rifles, Colonel Omer Farooq, Assistant Political Agent of Landikotal, Raheemullah Mehsud, Malik Darya Khan, Malik Mirajuddin Shinwari, Khanzad Gul Shinwari and a number of local residents, students of different schools, civil and military officials witnessed the celebrations.
