A ceremony will be held at General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi on Sunday morning to mark one year since Pakistan’s victory in Marka-i-Haq, according to Radio Pakistan.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of the Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir will be the chief guest at the event.
Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf will also attend the ceremony.
A floral wreath will be laid at the Yadgar-e-Shuhada, followed by a salute presented by smartly turned-out contingents of the three armed forces.
Field Marshal Munir is also expected to address the ceremony.
Traffic advisory issued ahead of Marka-i-Haq event
Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon said on Saturday that the capital’s traffic police had issued an advisory for May 10 (Sunday) for an event in connection with the anniversary of Marka-i-Haq.
Sources told Dawn earlier that the top civilian and military leadership was expected to attend a ceremony to be held at the National Monument at Islamabad’s Zero Point to celebrate the Pakistani forces’ victory against India last year in May.
“Temporary traffic diversions will remain in place from 6pm to 12am on various routes across the city,” Memon said in a post on the social media platform X.
“Citizens are requested to plan their travel accordingly, use alternative routes, avoid unnecessary movement during peak hours, and cooperate with traffic officials to ensure smooth traffic flow and public convenience,” he said.
According to the traffic police’s advisory, Srinagar Highway from Korianwala Chowk to Peshawar Mor would remain closed for traffic on both sides during the specified hours.
It said the Islamabad Expressway from Faizabad to Khayaban Chowk would also remain closed for traffic heading towards Faisal Avenue. Citizens travelling from the Motorway or Islamabad Chowk towards Bhara Kahu and Murree were advised to use 9th Avenue and Colonel Sher Khan Road (IJP Road) via Murree Road.
Commuters travelling from Murree or Bhara Kahu towards the Motorway were asked to use Murree Road, Faizabad, Colonel Sher Khan Road (IJP Road) and 9th Avenue.
Motorists travelling from the Motorway towards Red Zone and adjoining sectors were advised to use Jinnah Avenue or Margalla Road via 9th Avenue from Peshawar Mor. The residents of Red Zone and nearby sectors heading towards Rawalpindi or the Motorway were advised to travel through Margalla Road or Jinnah Avenue to 9th Avenue.
Traffic coming from the Expressway towards Islamabad would be diverted through Faizabad, Colonel Sher Khan Road (IJP Road) and 9th Avenue, it said.
Commuters travelling from Rawalpindi to Islamabad were advised to use Colonel Sher Khan Road (IJP Road), Fakhar-i-Alam Road or 9th Avenue. Traffic from Rawalpindi Scheme-III and Ammar Chowk would be able to travel towards Red Zone, Bhara Kahu and Murree through Rawal Road, Chandni Chowk, Murree Road and Club Road.
Travellers from Murree and Bhara Kahu heading towards Koral Chowk or Rawat T-Cross on GT Road were advised to use Korang Road, Bani Gala, Park Road and Lehtrar Road.
Motorists travelling from Peshawar Mor towards Koral or Rawat T-Cross were advised to use 9th Avenue, Stadium Double Road and Rawal Road.
The advisory also said that all light transport vehicles (LTV) would be diverted from Rawat T-Cross towards Rawalpindi from 5pm till midnight. Meanwhile, the entry of all kinds of heavy traffic vehicles (HTVs) into Islamabad would remain completely banned from 4am on May 10 to midnight.
On Friday, the residents of the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad witnessed a spectacular aerial display by the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighter jets during a rehearsal for the official Marka-i-Haq ceremony.
It is also worth mentioning that the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has issued a notice to airmen that the flight operations at the Islamabad airport might be affected due to “operational reasons” from Friday to Sunday.
Last year’s military conflict with India, starting from the April 22 Pahalgam attack to the end of Pakistan’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, with a ceasefire ending a military escalation between the two countries on May 10, has been called “Marka-i-Haq” (Battle of Truth) by the state.
It’s good to see Field Marshal Munir leading the ceremony at GHQ, but I hope the traffic diversions in Islamabad don’t cause too much hassle for regular commuters on a Sunday.
Attending both GHQ and the National Monument event seems like a lot for one day. I wonder if the traffic advisory from Deputy Commissioner Memon will actually help or just confuse people.
Proud of our armed forces for the Marka-i-Haq victory. Laying a wreath at Yadgar-e-Shuhada is a fitting tribute to the martyrs who made it possible.
This has all the hallmarks of a protracted stalemate with no off ramp. (9627c4)
Why is the air chief and naval chief also attending? Seems like a joint services event, but the article doesn’t make clear if all three forces were equally involved in the operation.
Displacement numbers are reaching crisis levels and it’s only getting worse. (e76181)