Pakistan Day: Military might displayed at Islamabad parade.

The nation is celebrating Pakistan Day on Saturday with a commitment to ensure progress, prosperity and a strong defense of the country.

The day dawned with thirty-one-gun salute in the federal capital and twenty-one-gun salute in provincial capitals, Radio Pakistan reported.

Special prayers were offered in mosques after Fajr prayers for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

The Pakistan Day military parade is under way at Parade Ground near Islamabad's Shakarparian hills. The event is being attended by the country's top civil and military leaders and a large number of foreign dignitaries.

Special guest of honour Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad is also present at the parade, along with President Arif Alvi, Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Zubair Mehmood Hayat and the three services chiefs.

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Minister of Defence of the Republic of Azerbaijan Colonel General Zakir Hasanov, Commander National Guard of Bahrain Sheikh Mohamed Bin Isa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa, and government officials from Oman are also in attendance.

Contingents of the three armed forces conducted a march-past, while a formation of Pakistan Air Force jets led by Air Chief Marshal Mujahid Anwar Khan presented a fly-past as a salute to the president.

A special hallmark of the parade was the participation of paratroopers from Azerbaijan, Brunei, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Sri Lanka. The Special Services Group's Sky Divers undertook free-fall jumps from a height of 10,000 feet.

Contingents of Azerbaijan and Saudi Arabia were part of the marching columns, while Turkey and China participated in the aerobatics display.

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Participating troops included foot columns of the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Frontier Corps K-P, Pakistan Rangers Sindh, Islamabad Police, Tri-Services Lady Officers, Tri-Services Armed Forces Nursing Service, Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, and Special Service Group of the three services.

There were also mechanised columns of the Armoured Corps, Mechanised Infantry, Artillery, Army Air Defence, Engineers, Signals, Army...