Islamabad hosts Independence Day, Marka-e-Haq festivities
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Senate Chairman Yousuf Raza Gilani, National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Inter-Services Public Relations Director General Lt Gen Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, federal and state ministers, and foreign diplomats are present at the event.
The ceremony featured parades by various branches of the armed forces, with military contingents from Türkiye and Azerbaijan also participating.
According to state-run Radio Pakistan, Prime Minister Shehbaz will inaugurate the Marka-e-Haq Monument during the event.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal had earlier said this year's Independence Day celebrations would be held under the banner of Marka-e-Haq, or 'Battle of Truth', to highlight the nation's resilience, progress, and pride.
The Pakistan Army designated the term Marka-e-Haq in May to describe the period of conflict with India between April 22 and May 10, following the Pahalgam attack in Indian-Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir. New Delhi accused Islamabad of involvement in the incident without providing evidence.
The standoff escalated on the night of May 6-7, when India launched a series of airstrikes on Pakistan, causing civilian casualties. Both sides exchanged missile fire over the following week before a US-brokered ceasefire ended hostilities.
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