Pak Army postpones Defence Day ceremony

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Army postponed its annual Defence Day ceremony — held at the General Headquarters on September 6 every year — in solidarity with flood victims across the country.

The ceremony is held to commemorate the sacrifices of fallen heroes during the 1965 war. “In solidarity with the flood affected people of Pakistan, central ceremony at GHQ to commemorate Defence & Martyrs Day on 6 September has been postponed,” the military’s media wing tweeted today.

The ISPR added that the armed forces will continue serving the people affected by unprecedented floods. Pakistan is reeling from catastrophic floods post monsoon rains this year. The National Disaster Management Authority has said that over 1,000 people have lost their lives so far while hundreds were left injured.

Estimates say nearly a third of the country has been submerged in water with over 30 million people displaced. The floods have caused massive destruction to the infrastructure, and has swept away a number of roads, bridges, houses, schools, hospitals and power houses.

The armed forces along with district administrations and civil organisations have been conducting relief and rescue operations across the country. In its update today, the ISPR said that 140 helicopter sorties have evacuated more than 550 stranded individuals from various flood-affected areas.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army helicopters have delivered 29 tons of relief items including 6,140 ration packets and 325 tents to flood-hit areas in the last 24 hours. The military’s media wing added that 224 relief item collection points have been established and 5,213 patients have been treated so far in medical camps.