Defence Day celebrated in city with great zeal
KARACHI: The Defence Day of Pakistan on Thursday was celebrated in the city from early morning till evening with a change of guard at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation followed by parades, air shows and demonstrations held at Malir Garrison, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Base Masroor and the Seaview Beach on Thursday.
Mazar-i-Quaid
The day dawned with a 21-gun salute and special prayers in mosques for those who sacrificed their lives for the country. The change of guard ceremony at the Quaid-i-Azam’s mausoleum saw Pakistan Air Force cadets from PAF Academy Asghar Khan taking over guard duties from Pakistan Navy cadets, who had been there performing the same duties since Aug 14.
Malir Garrison
The annual parade at Malir Garrison was attended by families of many martyred soldiers as well as serving and retired army men along with sports and showbiz celebrities. The parade started at 8.15am sharp with Officer Commanding Malir Garrison Major General Zahid Mahmood as the chief guest.
The parade was divided into four phases with the first one being the march past of contingents including various battalions and regiments of the armed forces including the army band and parchum party that played the national anthem followed by many tunes to lift the spirit.
‘Pakistan’s security was neither compromised in the past nor will it be compromised in future’
The second phase comprised the armoured corps and mechanised weaponry including the Al-Khalid tank, other armed tanks, air defence weaponry and artillery, including guns and missile systems, Skyguard radar systems, mobile workshops, mobile bridges, signals mobiles, medical battalions, etc.
The third phase was an air show by the Pakistan Army Aviation unit of Mushshak planes which dipped a wing when flying over the podium as a salute for the chief guest followed by difficult manoeuvres and formations such as crisscrossing or making the figure eight.
The fourth phase of the parade comprised floats representing all provinces and regions of Pakistan starting with the imaginatively decorated Balochistan float followed by Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh.
Ahead of each float and on them also children of the Army Public School tried replicating the cultures of all these places with dances in traditional attire.
Later, a wreath was laid at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah along with Karachi Corps Commander Lieutenant General Shahid Baig Mirza.
PAF Base Masroor
A ceremony was also held at the PAF Base Masroor where the Sindh governor was the chief guest and Air Vice Marshal Ahsan Rafiq, Air Officer Commanding, Southern Air Command was also present.
The special feature here was a display of various aircraft and other auxiliary equipment. An air show by PAF’s F-16, JF-17, Mirage and F7 PG aircraft also drew attention and admiration of visitors.