Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Like rest of the country in response to the call of the government of Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir ‘Youm e Takreem Shuhda e Pakistan’ was commemorated throughout Azad Jammu Kashmir with full respect and honor on Thursday to pay glorious tributes to the martyrs of valiant armed forces of Pakistan for giving supreme sacrifices of their lives for the defense of inch after inch of the motherland as and when required.
Our Special AJK Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao reports from Mirpur that special prayers were offered after fajr prayer in mosques for the up-gradation of the status of martyrs in heaven and security, stability, sovereignty, progress and prosperity of the country
In AJK, the day dawned with 21 gun salute at the state capital followed by special ceremonies to pay rich tributes to the martyrs of brave armed forces of Pakistan.Addressing the ceremonies speakers said 1.6 crore people of Jammu and Kashmir and 24 crore people of Pakistan stand united shoulder to shoulder with valiant armed forces of Pakistan for the security and defense of the motherland.
Special ceremonies to observe the ‘The Day of Respect Honour of the Martyrs of Pakistan’ were held in various parts of AJK including all the district head quarters of Mirpur, capital city of Muzaffarabaad, Bagh, Rawalakot, Palandri, Hattiyan, Haveili, Kotli, Bhimbher and Neelam valley to pay glorious tributes to the martyrs for giving the sacrifices of their valuable lives to safeguard the geographical and ideological frontiers of the country. Besides, they also paid rich tributes to the brave armed forces of Pakistan and ghazis who responded with crushing reply and rebuffed the enemy’s attack on Pakistan – who (India) resorted to wars against our motherland in 1965 and 1971 besides the war against terrorism.
In Mirpur, AJK’s lake city of expatriates, a ceremony to pay glorious tributes to the martyrs of the brave armed forces of Pakistan. Speakers from various segments of the civil society strongly condemned the shameful act of the sponsors of the attacks of civil and military installations on May 09 in various parts of the country allegedly on the instigation of the PTI leadership including the party chief and former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan allegedly for the accomplishment of his vested political designs. The ceremonies demanded of the government to bring all the accused involved the tragic incidents of May 09 to justice through summary trials in the courts of law including the military courts, since the shameful actions badly hurt entire nation through attacks, loot and arson of the civil and military places on May 09 – the black day in the history of Pakistan, they added.
A large number of people from all walks of life visited the graves of the martyrs of Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 in Mirpur city and its outskirt and prayed for the upholding of the status of the martyrs in heaven. The participants of the ceremony
and others placed the floral wreathes on the graves of the martyrs including the martyr of operation Zerb-e-Azab – shaheed Lt. Col. Mirza Imran Arshad Jiraal, shaheed Naib Subedar Muneer Hussain and others at the local graveyard.
The simple but impressive ceremonies were largely attended by the people belonging to all segments of the local civil society including parents and followers of the martyrs
Participants of the special ‘duayaa’ (prayer) meetings to mark the defense day of Pakistan, offered dua / fateha for the raising of the status of the martyrs of the – 1965 war besides other martyrs who laid down their lives for the defense of inch-after-inch the country in the wars of 1948, 1965, 1971 and Kargal fight with the chronic enemy India.
They also prayed for the security, stability, progress, prosperity and defense of the country and for the early success of the Kashmir freedom struggle for liberation of the occupied part of the State from the Indian subjugation.
Sharing their views to the media on this occasion Prof. Mirza Arshad Jiraal, father of the martyred soldier – Lt. Col. Imran Arshad and others paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Indo-Pak wars besides the martyrs of Jammu & Kashmir besides the martyrs of the Radul Fasaad and Zerb-a-Azab operations for laying down supreme sacrifices of their lives for the defense of the country besides to make the country clean of the terrorism.
Paying rich tributes to the Kashmiri martyrs who laid down their lives for the sake of the liberation of the motherland from the Indian yoke – especially during the ongoing uprising in the curfew-riddled bleeding Indian occupied Jammu & Kashmir, speakers said that Kashmiris struggle for freedom, was in fact the movement for completion of Pakistan.
Similar special ceremonies to observe the ‘Youm e Takreen Shuhda e Pakistan” were held under the auspices of various social, political and public representative organizations to highlight the importance of the day in other parts of the district. They offered fateha for the departed souls including the martyrs of armed forces of Pakistan who sacrificed their lives in the Indo-Pak Wars and in the war against terrorism in the country besides other martyrs who laid down their lives for the cause of maintaining defense, sovereignty and independence of Pakistan.
The participants of the ceremony laid floral wreath on the Shuhada Monument and gave away bouquets to the heirs of martyrs. A smart contingent of Pak Army presented solute. Civil and military officials, political figures, heirs and families of the martyrs and a large number of people attended the function.
People from various parts of AJK also visited the mausoleums of the martyrs of 1965 and 1971 wars and the wars against terrorism at the places close to their respective home stations including in Jhelum, Gujrat, Rawalpindi districts and offered fateha.
