Subscribe free to our newsletters via your




THE STANS
Pakistan holds first national day parade in seven years
by Staff Writers
Islamabad (AFP) March 23, 2015


Pakistan Monday held its first national day military parade for seven years, a display of pageantry aimed at showing the country has the upper hand in the fight against the Taliban.

Mobile phone networks in the capital were disabled to thwart potential bomb attacks, some roads were closed to the public and much of the city was under heavy guard for the event.

The annual Pakistan Day parade was last held in 2008 before authorities abandoned it because of fears it could be targeted as Taliban militants increased their attacks on the military.

The military says the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) is on the rack now thanks to an offensive waged against militant strongholds since June last year, allowing the display of martial pomp to be restarted.

The event, presided over by President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and army chief General Raheel Sharif, was held on a parade ground in leafy Islamabad.

The event comes just over three months after TTP gunmen massacred more than 150 people, most of them children, at a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar, an atrocity that shocked even conflict-weary Pakistan.

President Hussain paid tribute to soldiers fighting militants in the restive northwest, calling them his sons and pledging to go to the front line to hug them.

"I also salute the innocent martyrs of the Army Public School Peshawar, who by sacrificing their lives made it clear to the enemy that this nation cannot be defeated," the president said.

Both modern and more traditional elements of Pakistan's military arsenal were on display, from nuclear-capable missiles and the new home-made armed Burraq drone to a camel-mounted musical band.

There were fly-pasts by the air force, including some dizzying aerobatic displays by JF-17 Thunder fighters, which are locally produced in cooperation with close ally China.

Nuclear-capable Nasr and Shaheen missiles, which have a range of up to 1,500 kilometres (900 miles), and Babur cruise missiles were also paraded.

India hosted US President Barack Obama as guest of honour at its own Republic Day parade in January, warming ties between Washington and New Delhi, Pakistan's arch-rival.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he had written to his counterpart Sharif to congratulate him on Monday.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
News From Across The Stans






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle








THE STANS
Afghanistan will not be 'a burden' to US: Ghani
Washington (AFP) March 23, 2015
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani told US troops on Monday his country would always be grateful to them and promised his country would not be "a burden" to the United States. Speaking to a gathering of American soldiers and top officials at the Pentagon, Ghani repeatedly expressed appreciation for the sacrifices of the more than 850,000 troops who have been deployed in Afghanistan since the atta ... read more


THE STANS
UN ask for $30mn to help cyclone-ravaged Vanuatu

Fukushima reactor test offers detailed look inside

UN disaster meet criticised for lack of targets

Health, education fears for Vanuatu's child cyclone survivors

THE STANS
Galileo meets Galileo as launch draws near

Sixth Galileo satellite reaches corrected orbit

Satnav orbiter nudged into better spot: ESA

ISRO plans to launch navigation satellite by March-end

THE STANS
Atlas of thoughts

Men's preference for certain body types has evolutionary roots

Human parasites found in medieval cesspit reveal ancient links

Scientist hopes vest will broaden range of human senses

THE STANS
Parasite turns shrimp into voracious cannibals

How planthoppers got their wings

Time running out for wild elephants say experts

Plants' defensive responses have downstream effects on nearby ecosystems

THE STANS
Gates calls for 'germ games' instead of war games

US to Deploy Chemical Brigade to Liberia to Combat Ebola

Swine flu outbreak in India raises concern

British Ebola patient flown home from S. Leone

THE STANS
Three Chinese tourists killed in Thai bus crash

China eyes return of 'stolen' mummy: reports

Chinese anti-censorship group says it's under attack

Tibetan survivors of self-immolations face brutal fate: rights group

THE STANS
Sagem-led consortium intoduces anti-piracy system

China arrests Turks, Uighurs in human smuggling plot: report

Two police to hang for murder in Malaysian corruption scandal

THE STANS
IMF head welcomes China-backed bank on Beijing visit

China overseas investment jumps in February on Dutch deal: govt

China investigates former free trade zone official

China has 'ample' room for stimulus: premier




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.