Pakistan marks 79th Independence Day as Zardari links national security to regional peace
President calls for dialogue and de-escalation while prime minister and military leadership stress unity, sovereignty and economic progress
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (MNTV) — Pakistan celebrated 79 years of independence on Friday with gun salutes, flag-hoisting ceremonies and a warning from President Asif Ali Zardari to Afghanistan’s Taliban government to stop what he called its support for terror groups targeting Pakistan.
In his Independence Day message, Zardari tied the country’s security directly to “the peace and stability of our neighborhood and the world at large,” pledging Pakistan would keep backing efforts to reduce tensions and create conditions for cooperation.
His sharpest words were reserved for Kabul.
Zardari accused the Taliban’s interim government of allowing “a cocktail of terror groups” to launch cross-border attacks and of collaborating with India against Pakistani civilians and security personnel. “I warn them to stop these evil actions,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s armed forces were capable of defeating them.
Recalling the brief military conflict with India on May 6-7, 2025, the president said the events surrounding Marka-i-Haq had shown that Pakistan sought peace but had the resolve to defend its sovereignty.
“A country that can defend itself must also use its strength to prevent conflict,” he said. He reaffirmed support for the people of occupied Kashmir and a resolution in line with United Nations resolutions.
The day’s ceremonies began with a 31-gun salute in Islamabad and 21-gun salutes at provincial capitals, according to state-run Radio Pakistan, alongside a change-of-guards ceremony at the mausoleum of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif used his message to stress economic progress, saying Pakistan had achieved stability over the past two and a half years and that overseas remittances had risen by $11.3 billion in two years.
He pointed to the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement with Saudi Arabia and Türkiye as evidence of Pakistan’s growing strategic role, and voiced solidarity with Kashmiris and Palestinians.
The military leadership — Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Admiral Naveed Ashraf and Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu — issued a joint message honoring the country’s martyrs and calling for national unity, discipline and tolerance.
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