Summary
- President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif jointly inaugurated the monument on the eve of Pakistan’s 80th Independence Day.
- The president and prime minister, along with the military leadership, stood respectfully as the national anthem was played by a military band.
- The display was accompanied by a military band and reflected the participation of Pakistan’s security institutions in the national ceremony.
The Yadgar-i-Fatah monument, built to honour Pakistan’s martyrs and commemorate the state-designated “Marka-i-Haq,” was inaugurated in Islamabad on Thursday night.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif jointly inaugurated the monument on the eve of Pakistan’s 80th Independence Day.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf attended the ceremony. The president and prime minister, along with the military leadership, stood respectfully as the national anthem was played by a military band.
The ceremony began with the recitation of the Holy Quran. A video highlighting the concept, construction and development of the monument was also screened for the guests.
A large contingent of personnel from the armed forces, paramilitary forces and police presented a guard of honour. The display was accompanied by a military band and reflected the participation of Pakistan’s security institutions in the national ceremony.
The event was attended by senior military officers, federal ministers, political leaders, diplomats and other high-ranking officials. The Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairman Senate, Defence Minister, Foreign Minister and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz were among those present. Governors of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also attended.
Police contingents from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan participated in the ceremony. Units representing Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also part of the event.
The monument commemorates Pakistan’s military confrontation with India in May. According to the Pakistani state narrative, the conflict began after the April 22 Pahalgam attack and culminated in Operation Bunyanum Marsoos before a ceasefire was reached between the two countries on May 10.
Pakistan has referred to the episode as “Marka-i-Haq,” or the “Battle of Truth.”
The inauguration brought together the country’s political and military leadership and carried a strong message of national unity and patriotism.
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