ISLAMABAD: The Yadgar-i-Fatah monument, built to honour country’s martyrs and commemorate Marka-i-Haq was inaugurated here on Thursday night at a ceremony attended by the country’s top civil and military leadership.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif graced the inauguration ceremony as chief guests.
Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu and Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Naveed Ashraf were also in attendance.
The ceremony began with the national anthem, played by a military band, with the civil and military leadership standing in respect.
The monument has been built to pay tribute to martyrs and commemorate the country’s victory over India in the brief military conflict in May.
As part of the inauguration ceremony, a light and sound show titled “Dastan-e-Ishq-e-Watan: Marka-e-Haq” was presented, featuring moving images projected directly onto the monument through projection mapping.
During the ceremony, a documentary was also screened, featuring the extraordinary team behind Yadgar-i-Fatah and showcasing the eight-month journey of the monument’s construction, from its inception to completion.
The documentary revealed that the monument features five archways, symbolising the five pillars of Islam, as well as what are described as the five pillars of Pakistan including the government, the military, the media, the people and the ideology underpinning the nation.
The monument’s design also represents the three branches of Pakistan’s armed forces — the Army, Air Force and Navy — along with cyber defence and space warfare.
The inauguration ceremony also featured a flypast by Pakistan Air Force fighter jets, which released flares across the night sky.
The ceremony concluded with the flag-hoisting ceremony performed by President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir, accompanied by fireworks and the national anthem playing in the background. –Agencies
