Tag: 23 march

  • PM, president awaken spirit of service as nation celebrates Pakistan Day

    Amidst political turmoil, the 83rd Pakistan Day is being celebrated on Thursday.

    Pakistan Day is the celebration of the passing of the Lahore Resolution on March 23, 1940, when the All-India Muslim League demanded a separate nation for the Muslims of the British Indian Empire.

    According to Radio Pakistan, the day started off with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in provincial capitals.

    A change of guards ceremony was also held at the mausoleums of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal in Karachi and Lahore, respectively.

    Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif gave a message to the country, urging the nation to pay tribute to the sacrifices of the country’s founding fathers but stressed not to lose sight of the challenges staring the country in the face.

    “The challenges are topped by a combination of economic instability and the inability to settle the rules of the game. An environment of political chaos explains why we have failed to develop our economy on a sustainable basis,” said the PM.

    The premier said that for Pakistan to “achieve great heights”, the countrymen will “have to forge unity in our ranks, equip ourselves with national purpose and vow to wage a struggle in line with the legacy of our forefathers”.

    “Today the nation pays homage to Pakistan’s founding fathers for their political wisdom, sagacity & determination to wage a relentless struggle for a separate homeland,” the premier tweeted.

    In his message to the nation, President Dr Arif Alvi recalled that the country established state institutions, made its defence impregnable, achieved nuclear deterrence, curbed terrorism, overcame the Covid-19 pandemic, and displayed the spirit of sacrifice and cooperation in the face of natural calamities.

    However, he said, we still have a long way to go to ensure the rule of law, strengthen democracy, reduce inequalities in our society, empower women, provide the rights of persons with disabilities, eradicate terrorism and extremism, ensure the political and economic stability of the country, and protect the human rights of our citizens.

    Today, we pay tribute to the founding fathers of our nation whose struggles and sacrifices led to the creation of Pakistan, he said.

    Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also conveyed his wishes to the citizens on the occasion.

    In a tweet posted on Thursday, he wished for the country to “grow, prosper and thrive in peace and harmony consistent with the vision of our founding fathers”.

  • Babar Azam all set to receive Sitara e Imtiaz on 23rd March

    Babar Azam all set to receive Sitara e Imtiaz on 23rd March

    Pakistan’s men cricket team captain and top run scorer in the PSL Season 8, Babar Azam, will be awarded the country’s third biggest civilian award Sitara-e-Imtiaz on March 23.

    Babar Azam will be the youngest player to get the coveted award. At just 28 years of age, Babar Azam is the top run scorer in the latest PSL edition with 519 runs and also Pakistan’s top run scorer.
    Previously, former captain Sarfaraz Ahmed held the record as the youngest person to be awarded the prestigious award.

    Sarfaraz, who led Pakistan to the Champions Trophy title in 2017, was given the award by then Sindh Governor Mohammad Zubair at the Governor House in Karachi in 2018.

    Last year on August 14, the government announced that it will be conferring Babar with the country’s third-highest civilian honour.

    The star batter will be taking a break from cricket to attend the ceremony, as he will not be participating in the series against Afghanistan, which is scheduled to start on March 24.

    Babar Azam is not the only cricketer to get Sitara-e-Imtiaz, as many more including former captains Misbah ul Haq, Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan have received the award.

    Mohammad Yousuf received the award in 2011, Saeed Ajmal in 2015, Inzamam ul Haq in 2005 and Javed Miandad in 1992.

  • VIDEO: Turkish military band plays ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’s’ theme song at Pakistan Day celebrations

    VIDEO: Turkish military band plays ‘Diriliş: Ertuğrul’s’ theme song at Pakistan Day celebrations

    The Pakistan Day celebrations at Parade Avenue in Islamabad were a grand affair. The event which takes place on March 23 every year to mark Pakistan Resolution Day was rescheduled to March 25 due to bad weather conditions.

    While everything was taking place as per the norm, what caught everyone’s attention was the Turkish band’s performance of Diriliş: Ertuğrul’s theme song. As per Radio Pakistan, the Turkish military band also presented different tunes including Dil Dil Pakistan during the parade.

    To reaffirm the strong bond between Pakistan and Turkey, a Turkish fighter jet also presented a whole range of dazzling maneuvers.

    The Turkish band was holding three flags, white red and green.The white flag represented peace, red represented Ottoman Empire and the green represented Islam.

    Meanwhile, President Arif Alvi, who was the chief guest at the occasion, said: “Pakistan is laced with capabilities to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty, categorically stating that any misadventure will receive a befitting response.

    The President added that Pakistan is a strong nuclear power and “apart from making progress in the socio-economic sectors, the country has achieved self-reliance in defence”. He also expressed satisfaction that Pakistan is also exporting its defence products.

    The floats of Ministry of Science and Technology and the front-line healthcare workers against Covid-19 were also part of the parade.

    Performers from Pakistan also participated in the parade. Ali Hamza from Noori the band and Young stunners were also performing.

    It is pertinent to mention here that the Prime Minister Imran Khan was unable to attend the parade because he had tested positive for coronavirus last week.