On the 60th Defence and Martyrs\u2019 Day, Pakistan\u2019s civilian and military leadership paid rich homage to the country\u2019s martyrs, ghazis, and resilient citizens whose sacrifices and courage continue to safeguard the nation\u2019s freedom and sovereignty. This year, the occasion coincided with Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) and began with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital. Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC) General Sahir Shamshad Mirza, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu led the tributes to the nation\u2019s heroes. In its message, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that September 6 symbolises the unwavering resolve and indomitable spirit of the Pakistani nation. \u201cOn this historic day, our brave soldiers, backed by the people, stood as an unyielding wall against blatant aggression, thwarting the designs of an enemy far superior in arms and numbers. Their feats of courage and sacrifice carved an eternal lesson in history: that a united nation can never be defeated,\u201d the statement read. ISPR added that the bravery of Pakistan\u2019s heroes continues to inspire generations, and their legacy will endure forever. The Armed Forces also reaffirmed their commitment to supporting flood-affected communities across the country, while pledging to defend Pakistan against any threat with a \u201cbefitting and decisive response\u201d to attempts to undermine hard-earned peace. \u2018A glorious chapter\u2019 President Asif Ali Zardari, in his message from the Presidency, described September 6 as a \u201cglorious chapter\u201d in Pakistan\u2019s history. He paid glowing tribute to the brave soldiers and steadfast citizens who, with unshakable faith and unmatched resolve, defended the nation\u2019s borders. The president further underlined the special significance of this year\u2019s Defence Day in the context of the recent Operation Bunyan-ul-Marsoos, conducted in May 2025, where the Armed Forces once again demonstrated unmatched professionalism, courage, and sacrifice. \u201cJust as our courageous forces demonstrated extraordinary valour and dedication in 1965, our sons once again proved their unmatched bravery during this year\u2019s operation,\u201d he said. He lauded the professional excellence, combat readiness, and multi-domain capabilities of the Pakistan military, terming the nation\u2019s defence \u201cimpregnable\u201d and built on the eternal spirit of its people. As Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, he reiterated his commitment to modernising Pakistan\u2019s defence capabilities and emphasised countering modern threats such as hybrid warfare, disinformation, and psychological operations. President Zardari urged all pillars of the state, particularly the youth, to remain alert, united, and resilient in the face of evolving challenges. He reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s principled stance on Kashmir and Palestine, calling Kashmir the root cause of regional instability and condemning Israeli atrocities as genocide. He demanded a just solution for Kashmir and an independent Palestinian state with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. \u201cLet us remain steadfast, courageous, and united so that the sacrifices of our martyrs are honoured, our defence remains unbreakable, and we pass on a strong, prosperous, and peaceful Pakistan to our future generations,\u201d he concluded, paying tribute to the families of martyrs and veterans. ‘A symbol of courage’Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also paid glowing tribute to the martyrs and ghazis, calling September 6 \u201ca symbol of courage, unity, and resilience.\u201d He recalled how Pakistan\u2019s armed forces, with the full support of the people, had thwarted enemy aggression in 1965 and proven the nation\u2019s capacity to defend its independence and integrity. Highlighting the recent \u201cOperation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, Marqa-e-Haq,\u201d the prime minister lauded the Army, Navy, and Air Force for their unmatched professionalism and combat skills under the strategic leadership of COAS Field Marshal Munir. He said the courage of martyrs and war veterans would continue to inspire generations. PM Shehbaz reaffirmed Pakistan\u2019s commitment to peace and constructive engagement but warned against ignoring \u201ccontinuous Indian provocations and shifting regional dynamics.\u201d He stressed strengthening defence capabilities and resolutely countering foreign-sponsored terrorism and proxy warfare. Expressing solidarity with the people of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), the prime minister reiterated unwavering support for their struggle for self-determination and strongly condemned ongoing Israeli aggression in Palestine, urging uninterrupted humanitarian aid to Gaza. The premier underscored that economic stability is essential for strong defence and urged the nation to rise above personal differences for sustainable prosperity and self-reliance. \u201cOn this Defence and Martyrs Day, let us renew our pledge to the timeless principles of faith, unity, and discipline as envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam, and work together for a secure, united, and prosperous Pakistan. Pakistan Armed Forces Zindabad, Pakistan Paindabad,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
On the 60th Defence and Martyrs\u2019 Day, Pakistan\u2019s civilian and military leadership paid rich homage to the country\u2019s martyrs, ghazis, and resilient citizens whose sacrifices…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27220,"comment_status":"registered_only","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news-updates"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27219\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.diplomacypakistan.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}