Nation to observe ‘Thanksgiving Day’ tomorrow

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has announced that a national day of thanksgiving will be observed tomorrow (Friday, May 16), to honour the armed forces and celebrate their victory in the recent Marqa-e-Haq (Battle for Truth) against Indian aggression.

In a statement, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the day will begin with Quran recitations and special prayers in mosques across the country. A 31-gun salute will be held in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in each provincial capital, he added.

According to Tarar, the day’s main event will be a grand thanksgiving ceremony at the Pakistan Monument in Islamabad on Friday night.

Prominent figures from various walks of life will attend the ceremony, which will be graced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif as chief guest, the minister said, adding that Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee and the services chiefs will also attend the ceremony.

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Moreover, he said, ceremonies for the changing of the guards will be held at the mausoleums of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi and Allama Iqbal in Lahore. Flag-hoisting ceremonies will also take place in the federal and provincial capitals.

Tarar further said that floral tributes will be laid at martyrs’ memorials nationwide, and prayer gatherings will be held in memory of those who laid down their lives during Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, and Marqa-e-Haq.

Special meetings will also be held with families of the martyrs to pay tribute to their sacrifices, the minister added.

Senate passes resolution on Bunyan-um-Marsoos success

Meanwhile, the Senate unanimously adopted a resolution lauding the success of Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos and paying tribute to Pakistan’s armed forces for their “resolute and professional” response to Indian aggression.

The resolution, moved by Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, condemned Indian military strikes as “inhuman”, noting that women, children, and places of worship were targeted. It also reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to regional and global peace, while strongly condemning the violation of international norms.

The upper house reiterated that the Kashmir dispute must be resolved in accordance with United Nations Security Council resolutions, and called for renewed diplomatic efforts to highlight the issue internationally.

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It further declared that the Indus Waters Treaty is not merely a water-sharing arrangement but a matter of national security.

The resolution warned that any Indian aggression over water would be treated as an act of war and stated Pakistan’s water rights under the treaty are “inalienable”.