Chinese, Turkish troops to join Pakistan Day parade

Islamabad: Contingents of Chinese and Turkish armies are to participate in the Pakistan Day parade for the first time, the army said on Monday.

Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said in a tweet that Chinese soldiers will take part in the parade being held on March 23, to mark the Pakistan Day celebrations.

"A Turkish military band will also participate in the parade, " the tweet added.

The parade is organised by joint staff headquarters in Rawalpindi, which oversees the three armed forces of Pakistan and this was the first time, Chinese and Turkish troops would be participating in parade.

Contingents of the Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force have reportedly arrived in the federal capital for parade rehearsals, with stringent security measures in place.

The military parade had been halted for the past few following a wave of terrorism in the country. However, after the success of operation Zarb-e-Azb, the parade was resumed in 2015 after a gap of seven years.

The parade is seen as a manifestation of the military's show of strength in the wake of the massacre in the Army Public School in 2014, that left over 150 people dead, mostly school children.

Pakistan Day commemorates the passing of the Lahore Resolution, when a separate nation for the Muslims of The British Indian Empire was demanded on March 23, 1940 as well as the declaration of the Republic on the same day in 1956.

Apart from the Pakistan parade, scores of events would be organised on the day.