ISLAMABAD: Pakistan celebrated its Republic Day with a grand military parade in the capital city on Sunday, as the country’s president vowed the nation would rise above its current challenges to stabilize its economy. 

The parade was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr or the official residence of the president on Sunday morning. It is held each year on Mar. 23 to celebrate the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Muslim League party, which called for the creation of an independent state for the Muslims of India on Mar. 23, 1940.

The day began with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in provincial capitals. All three contingents of Pakistan’s armed forces, the army, the navy and the air force took part in the military parade. 

Speaking at the ceremony, chief guest President Asif Ali Zardari acknowledged that the country is facing several challenges. However, he said Pakistan was capable of striving and prevailing over its existing difficulties. 

“Pakistan faces several geopolitical problems but our brave armed forces are giving numerous sacrifices as they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Pakistan’s masses,” Zardari told attendees at the parade. 

“We will stabilize our borders, our economy and our agriculture,” he added. 

Apart from Zardari, the ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, armed forces services chiefs, senior officials and other dignitaries.

Pakistan Air Force fighter jets presented a fly-past at the ceremony to showcase the country’s air defense capabilities. Pakistan Army troops also held a march-past at the parade, paying homage to the attendees at the event. 

While last year the event was held at the Parade Avenue in Islamabad, this year it was held at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on a “limited” scale due to the holy month of Ramadan, state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported earlier this week. 

This year, the military parade took place as Pakistan grapples with surging militancy, especially in its southwestern Balochistan province bordering Iran and Afghanistan. Separatist militants last Tuesday bombed a section of the railway track and stormed the Peshawar-bound Jaffar Express train carrying over 400 passengers in the mountainous Bolan region.

The crisis was resolved the following day when the armed forces carried out a successful operation to rescue the hostages, killing all 33 militants in the process. A final count showed 23 soldiers, three railway employees and five passengers had died in the attack.

Violence persisted in the region days later as a blast killed five, including three paramilitary soldiers, in the province’s Nushki district last Sunday.

On Saturday, unidentified gunmen shot dead four cops and four Punjab-based laborers in Balochistan in separate attacks. 

No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks but suspicion is likely to fall on the outlawed militant Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) group, which has carried out attacks against Punjab-based laborers and law enforcers in the southwestern province.