In partnership with
Profit
NATION RENEWS ALLEGIANCE TO QUAID’S VISION WITH MAGNIFICENT MILITARY PARADE ON PAKISTAN DAY Sunday, 24 March, 2024 I 13 Ramazan, 1445
g
PARADE FEATURES CONTINGENTS OF CHINA AND AZERBAIJAN WITH SAUDI DEFENCE MINISTER AS GUEST OF HONOUR
T
g
ISLAMABAD
Rs 20.00 | Vol XIV No 266 I 8 Pages I Islamabad Edition
PRESIDENT URGES POLITICAL PARTIES TO UNITE AND WORK TOGETHER FOR DEVELOPMENT OF PAKISTAN
STAFF REPORT
HE nation is celebrating Pakistan Day 2024 on Saturday with a renewed pledge to work hard for the progress and stability of the country with a magnificent Pakistan Day Military parade held at Shakarparian Parade Avenue in Islamabad wherein tri-services demonstrated exemplary professionalism and military prowess. Saudi Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman Al Saud was the guest of honour in today’s event while the contingents of China and Azerbaijan also featured in the parade. President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and all the service chiefs were present at the occasion. The impressive ceremony kicked off with the flypast of fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan Navy. Newly inducted J-10 C, indigenously built JF-17 thunder, F-16, and Mirage fighter jets as well as AWACs, P-3C Orion and ATR participated in the fly past. Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu led the flypast which included the J-10C and F-7PG fighter aircraft. Contingents of Pakistan Army, Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Special Services Group, Frontier Corps, Rangers, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
police and Gilgit Baltistan Scouts marched past the dais presenting salute to the chief guest and the guest of honor. Mechanized columns including tanks, armored personnel carriers, rocket launchers, air defense system, guns, UAVs, short and long range missiles Ra’ad, Nasr, Babur, Shaheen, Ghauri and Ababeel were showcased on the occasion. Engineering corps also presented its state of the art equipment. The parade featured the march past of the hel-
Russia arrests suspected gunmen as concert death toll soars to 143 MOSCOW
REUTERS
Russia has arrested 11 people including four suspected gunmen in connection with a shooting rampage that killed at least 143 people in a concert hall near Moscow, the Kremlin said on Saturday. Militant group Da’ish claimed responsibility for Friday’s attack, the deadliest in Russia for 20 years. But there were indications that Russia was pursuing a Ukrainian link, despite a statement from Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak that Kyiv had nothing to do with it. The FSB security service said “all four terrorists” had been arrested while heading to the Ukrainian border, and that they had contacts in Ukraine. It said they were being transferred to Moscow. “Now we know in which country these bloody bastards planned to hide from pursuit – Ukraine,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Telegram. A senior Russian lawmaker, Andrei Kartapolov, said that if Ukraine was involved, then Russia must deliver a “worthy, clear and concrete” reply on the battlefield. State TV editor Margarita Simonyan published a video of one of the suspects, a young bearded man, being interrogated by the side of a road. She said the death toll had climbed to 143 but did not give the source of her information. Russia’s Investigative Committee earlier said at least 115 had died in the attack, in which camouflage-clad gunmen opened fire with automatic weapons at concertgoers in the Crocus City Hall near the capital. It said some died from gunshot wounds and others in a huge fire that broke out in the complex. Reports said the gunmen had lit the blaze using petrol from canisters they carried in rucksacks. People fled in panic. Baza, a news outlet with good contacts in Russian security and law enforcement, said 28 bodies were found in a toilet and 14 on a staircase. “Many mothers were found embracing their children,” it said.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
icopters of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force. The troops from Azerbaijan and China participated in the parade. Amidst applause by the audience, formations of Sherdils and JF-17 Thunder and F16 fighter jets presented breathtaking aerobatic maneuvers spreading a range of colours in the skies. Floats depicting culture of Azad Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and the four provinces were part of the parade. This was followed by the fly past of heli-
copters of Pakistan Army, PAF and Navy. The sky divers of Special Services Group exhibited free fall from a height of ten thousand feet, carrying national flags and those of services. Afterwards, the national flag was presented to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The parade culminated with presentation of a special song themed ‘Pochay Jo Naam Koi Tum Pakistan Batana’. PAKISTAN DAY: The Pakistan Day (March 23) marks the adoption of the historic Lahore Resolution on this day in 1940 which provided a framework for the realisation of the goal of a separate homeland for Muslims of South Asia. NATION CELEBRATES PAKISTAN DAY WITH NATIONAL ZEAL AND ZEST: Nation celebrated Pakistan Day with a renewed pledge and commitment to transform the country into a true Islamic welfare state as per the ideology of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and ensure its progress, prosperity and a strong defence. The day dawned with 31gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salute in provincial capitals. Special prayers were offered in mosques after Fajr prayers for progress and prosperity of the country. Radio Pakistan, PTV and other TV channels are airing special programs to highlight the importance of this day and pay tributes to the leaders and activists of Pakistan Movement.
Sharif said during his previous tenure as a prime minister, Saudi Arabia played a critical role in improving the economic condition of Pakistan. The people of Pakistan have a special place in their hearts for the Saudi royal family, he added. About the Special Investment Facilitation Council, the Prime Minister said ‘one window operation’ was created for the investors through the establishment of the council, which would facilitate business activities and investment. He said that immense opportunities were present in Pakistan in different fields including agriculture, livestock, information technology, mining, renewable energy, etc.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
CONTINUED ON PAGE 03
VISITING SAUDI MINISTER ALSO MEETS WITH PRESIDENT, COAS ISLAMABAD
STAFF REPORT
Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif and Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud on Saturday held an in-depth discussion on bilateral matters, issues related to regional peace, security and the situation in the region. Besides, Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud also held separate meetings with President Aasif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir. Defence Minister of Saudi Arabia Prince Khalid Bin Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud called on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at PM’s House to discuss regional matters and cooperation in defence, said a statement issued by the Prime Minister House after the meeting. Minister for Defence Khawaja Asif and Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir also attended the meeting held here at the PM House. PM Shehbaz and Saudi Defence Minister exchanged views on increasing cooperation between the two countries in the areas of defence and security. The prime minister congratulated the Defence Minister on receiving Pakistan’s highest civil award Nishan-e-Pakistan and thanked him for attending the Pakistan Day Parade as the chief guest. He requested the Saudi dignitary to
convey his best wishes and immense gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques His Majesty King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud and Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Al Saud. PM Shehbaz said that Pakistan was looking forward to the visit of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman. He underlined that Pakistan and Saudi Arabia had close brotherly ties based on the common religion, history and culture, which were further strengthening with the passage of time. Pakistan, he said, greatly valued its relations with Saudi Arabia, adding that Saudi Arabia fully supported Pakistan through thick and thin.
LONDON
STAFF REPORT
Minister for Foreign Affairs Ishaq Dar Saturday said the government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would seriously look for opening trade with India. Addressing a press conference here after attending the Nuclear Energy Summit in Brussels, Dar said relations between Pakistan and India faced a setback after India revoked the constitutional and legal status of Jammu and Kashmir in August, 2019. “We will seriously look into matters of [opening] trade with India,” he added. He said he would also look into the complaints of closure of social media platform X in Pakistan. He said the government would implement a fiveyear road map to put Pakistan on the road of economic progress and bring down inflation to lessen economic difficulties of the common man. Dar said the 16-month government of Shehbaz Sharif saved Pakistan from economic collapse after the bad policies of the previous government which devastated economy of the country. He said Pakistan had vision for nuclear energy since 1960s and despite the scrutiny of the world it continued to harness the benefits of nuclear energy. “Now the world is saying that nuclear and hydro energy are the safest and best for taking on the challenge of climate change.”
PM, Saudi Defence Minister discuss regional issues, defence cooperation g
Govt to ‘seriously’ mull reviving trade with India: FM