Youm-e-Tashakur is being observed today to pay homage to the Armed Forces and the people for victory in Operation Bunanu-um-Marsoos and Marka-e-Haq.
The day dawned with special prayers in Mosques and recitation of the Holy Quran.
Thirty-one-gun salute after Fajar Prayar in the Federal Capital and a twenty-one-gun salute at provincial capitals was boomed to mark the Day.
Change of guard ceremonies will also be held at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam in Karachi and at the mausoleum of national poet Allama Dr. Muhammad Iqbal in Lahore this morning.
Special meetings will be held with the families of the martyrs of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos to pay tribute to them.
The main ceremony of Youm-e-Tashakur will be held at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad.
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif will be the chief guest of the ceremony, while the Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the Chief of Army Staff will also grace the ceremony.
Programs will also be held in schools, colleges, and different organizations, both on a government and private basis.
In a message on the occasion, President Asif Ali Zardari said Pakistan will never compromise on its sovereignty, territorial integrity, or its core national interests, and aggression against the homeland will be met with full force.
“Today, Youm-e-Tashakur is being observed across the country to thank Allah Almighty for the magnificent success and victory of Pakistan against the open aggression and provocation of India,” he said.
“During the midnight of May 6 and May 7, India, while acting cowardly, attacked Pakistan, resulting in the martyrdom of innocent Pakistani citizens, and we were forced to respond for the sake of these innocent citizens,” he added.
He said the world saw that in just few hours an enemy which was many times bigger came to its knees and the planes which were pride of India turned into ashes and became sign of a bitter lesson.
“Our Shaheens hammered the enemy and gave it a befitting reply,” he said, adding that the brave and professional armed forces of Pakistan effectively and fully responded in the language of the enemy and wrote a golden chapter in the military history and foiled the designs of the enemy.
The army bases, piles of weapons, and air bases turned into ruins in the blink of an eye,” he continued.
He said, “Their Rafale became the target of our Shaheens and was defeated with the grace of Allah.”
He said, “Our operation was against the obsolete ideology which was based on animosity against humanity, aggression, religious extremism, and bias.
This is the success of our honour and principles. This is not only the success of the armed forces but also of the honourable, proud, and dignified nation of Pakistan. The whole nation stood like a fortified wall and shoulder to shoulder with the armed forces.”
“On this occasion, I, on my own and on behalf of the nation, thank General Syed Asim Munir from the bottom of my heart, as in his sagacious and brave leadership, this achievement was made.
I also warmly commend Chief of Air Staff Zaheer Babar and his Shaheens who raised our head with pride. I also pay tribute to Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf as under his leadership, Pakistan Navy continued to protect the sea frontiers of Pakistan,” he added.
He said, “I also thank with heart all the allied and opposition parties and all the political leaders and Parliament for displaying exemplary unity and historic solidarity.”
