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Pakistan Day (Urdu: یومِ پاکستان, lit. Yaum-e-Pakistan) is a national holiday in Pakistan primarily commemorating the adoption of the first Constitution of Pakistan during the transition of the Dominion of Pakistan to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 making Pakistan the world's first Islamic republic, which remains a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations.[1] The day also celebrates the adoption of the Lahore Resolution by the Muslim League at the Minar-e-Pakistan (lit. Pakistan Tower) which called for the creation of an independent sovereign state derived from the provinces with Muslim majorities located in the North-West and East of British India (excluding autonomous princely States) on 23 March 1940.[2][3][1][4]
| Pakistan Day یومِ پاکستان | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Official name | Urdu: یومِ پاکستان lit. Yaum-e-Pakistan[Note 1] |
| Observed by |  Pakistan |
| Type | Islamic Republic |
| Significance | Commemoration of Pakistan Resolution and Constitution |
| Celebrations | Full Joint Inter-Services military parade, conferring of Pakistani national honours |
| Observances | Pakistan (Diplomatic missions of Pakistan in other countries) |
| Date | 23 March |
| Next time | 23 March 2025 |
| Frequency | Annual |
| First time | 23 March 1940 |
The day is celebrated annually primarily by Government officials and army staff throughout the country and is a public holiday for civilians. While civilians do not celebrate the public holiday, the Pakistan Armed Forces usually hold a military parade to celebrate both the passing of the Lahore Resolution in 1940 and the Constitution of Pakistan of 1956.[5][6]
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The Muslim League held its annual session at Minto Park in Lahore, Punjab, 23rd March 1940.[7] During this event, the Muslim League led by Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other Founding Fathers narrated the events regarding the differences between Hindus and Muslims, and introduced the historical resolution that cemented the formation of a nation-state in South Asia as Pakistan, even though it did not actually mention Pakistan at all.[8]
The resolution was moved by A. K. Fazlul Huq (26 October 1873 – 27 April 1962), often called Sher-e-Bangal, passed on 23rd March and had its signatures from the Founding Fathers of Pakistan. It reads as:[9]
[Quoting Resolution:] No constitutional plan would be workable or acceptable to the Muslims unless geographical contiguous units are demarcated into regions which should be so constituted with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary. That the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in majority as in the North-Western and Eastern zones of India should be grouped to constitute independent states in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.
The British plan to partition the Indian subcontinent into two dominions - India and Pakistan - was announced on 3 June 1947. In the event, Pakistan was created on 14 August 1947 and Indian independence came a day later. Pakistan was immediately identified as a migrant state born amid bloodshed. Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, became the first Governor-General of Pakistan with Liaqat Ali Khan becoming the first Prime Minister of Pakistan. The Indian Act of 1935 provided the legal framework for Pakistan until 1956, when the state passed its own constitution.[10]
While Pakistan's Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution.
Works and efforts by the Basic Principles Committee drafted the basic outlines of the constitution in 1949.[11] After many deliberations and years of some modifications, the first set of the Constitution of Pakistan was enforced in the country on 23 March 1956. This marked the country's successful transition from Dominion to Islamic Republic. The Governor-General was replaced with the President of Pakistan as ceremonial head of state.[12] Initially it was called Republic Day but after Ayub Khan's takeover its name was changed to Pakistan Day due to the end of democracy in Pakistan.
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 | This section needs additional citations for verification. (March 2019) |
The main celebration is held in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.[13] The President of Pakistan is usually the Chief Guest; also in attendance are the Prime Minister of Pakistan alongside the Cabinet ministers, military chiefs of staff, and chairman joint chiefs.[14]
A full inter-services joint military parade is rehearsed and broadcast live by the news media all over the country.[14] The Pakistan military inter services also gives a glance of its power and capabilities during this parade.
The celebrations regarding the holiday include a full military and civilian parade in the capital, Islamabad.[5] These are presided by the President of Pakistan and are held early in the morning.[14] After the parade, the President confers national awards and medals on the awardees at the Presidency.[14] Wreaths are also laid at the mausoleums of Allama Sir Muhammad Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan.[5] In very rare times and significance, foreign dignitaries have been invited to attend the military parade.[15]
In the United States, while New York City has celebrated North America's largest Pakistan Day parade for decades, New Jersey's first annual Pakistan Day parade was held on August 16, 2015, in Edison and Woodbridge, New Jersey.[16][17]
Parade Commanders
From 1956 to 2018, the following officers from the army have led the joint services parade:
| Year | Officer | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Brigadier Nasir Khan | 1st Punjab Regiment | . |
| 1987 | Brigadier Afzal Janjua SJ | FF Regt | Later Lt. Gen. |
| 1989 | Brigadier Yasub Dogar | 2 FF Regiment (Guides) | |
| 1996 | Brigadier Naveed Nasr | 17 Punjab Regiment | Also commanded 70 Punjab |
| 1997 | Brigadier Javed Iqbal | 18 Field Regiment | MS to Nawaz Sharif in 1999 |
| 1998 | Brigadier Akram Sahi | FF Regt | Later Maj. Gen. |
| 1999 | Brigadier Muhammad Sarmad Ibrar | 3 Baluch Regt | Later Lt. Gen. |
| 20xx | Brigadier Badar Munir | 5 AK Regt | |
| 2005 | Brigadier Naushad Kiani | Punjab Regt | Later Maj. Gen. |
| 2007 | Brigadier Tariq Ghafoor | FF Regt | Later Maj. Gen. |
| 2008 | Brigadier Ihsan ul Haq | Later Maj. Gen. | |
| 2015 | Brigadier Khurram Sarfaraz | 27 Baluch Regt | |
| 2016 | Brigadier Amir Majeed | 29 AK Regt | |
| 2017 | Brigadier Amer Ahsan Nawaz | 3 Baluch Regt | Now Lt. Gen. |
| 2018 | Brigadier Abdul Saboor Hasan | 19 FF Regt | |
Foreign dignitaries who have attended the parade
From 1956 to 2019, the following foreign dignitaries attended the parade:
| Foreign dignitary | Guest of Honour | Country | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | General Rudini |  Indonesia |
Chief of staff Indonesian Army |
| 1987 | Robert Mugabe |  Zimbabwe |
President of Zimbabwe |
| 1996 | Cassam Uteem |  Mauritius |
President of Mauritius |
| 1997 | OIC Heads of States | OIC Members | To attend Extra-Ordinary OIC Summit |
| 2005 | Hamid Karzai |  Afghanistan |
President of Afghanistan |
| 2018 | Maithripala Sirisena |  Sri Lanka |
President of Sri Lanka |
| 2019 | Mahathir Mohamad |  Malaysia |
Prime Minister of Malaysia |
Foreign contingents
| Year | Contingent | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Janissary Military Band |  Turkey |
| 1956 | Iran Military Contingent |  Iran |
| 1956 | Turkish Military Contingent | Turkey |
| 1997 | Janissary Military Band | Turkey |
| 2017 | Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion |  China |
| 2017 | Janissary Military band | Turkey |
| 2018 | Saudi Arabian Special Forces |  Saudi Arabia |
| 2018 | UAE elite unit |  UAE |
| 2018 | Jordanian Armed Forces Band |  Jordan |
| 2019 | Azerbaijan Army |  Azerbaijan |
| 2019 | People's Liberation Army Air Force | China |
| 2019 | Turkish Air Force | Turkey |
| 2019 | Saudi Arabian Army (Paratroopers) | Saudi Arabia |
| 2019 | Sri Lanka Army (Paratroopers) | Sri Lanka |
| 2019 | Royal Bahraini Army (Paratroopers) |  Bahrain |
| 2019 | Royal Brunei Land Forces (Paratroopers) |  Brunei |
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