Reharsal Pakistan Day Military Parade Chinese Contingent Participates

Rehearsal Pakistan Day Military Parade Chinese Contingent Participates Chinese Contingent Participates in Pakistan Day Military Parade Full Dress Rehearsal Follow us on www.facebook.com/pakistanaffairs2017 www.twitter.com/pakistanaffairz A contingent of the guard of honor of the three services of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Sunday participated in a rehearsal of Pakistan's 77th national day parade in the country's capital of Islamabad. The 90-member contingent has come to Pakistan to feature in the parade at the invitation of the Pakistani side. During their parade, the soldiers shouted "Long live China and Pakistan friendship" in Urdu. "The Chinese contingent was parading in a smooth style. They carried their national flag. It is good to see them parading with the Pakistani army. Great," said Hussain Ali, a resident of Islamabad, after the rehearsal. "We are very proud to watch the Chinese contingent in the parade. We watched many parades before, but this year is different. Having the Chinese contingent here is good. We want to thank their participation and hope they could come next year," said Nadir Khan, another resident of Islamabad. The final parade will be held on March 23 at Shakarparian Parade Ground in Islamabad. Saudi Special Force's contingents and Turkish Janissary Military Band are also participating in the parade. The parade is being organized by joint staff headquarters, which oversees the three armed forces of Pakistan. During the rehearsal, Pakistani armed forces parade was followed by an exhibition of military hardware, cultural floats and air show. According to a handout released by the Pakistan army's mouthpiece Inter Services Public Relations, the guard of honor of the three services of the PLA is participating in any parade in Pakistan for the first time. Talking to media on the occasion, head of the Chinese contingent Major General Li Jianbo said, "We have come here to convey a message of friendship to Pakistan on behalf of the Chinese people and the Chinese army. We sincerely hope that Pakistan will progress day by day and its army will be stronger and stronger." The Pakistan Day commemorates March 23, 1940 when a resolution was passed in Lahore, now Pakistan's eastern city, to demand a separate homeland for the Muslims of the British Indian Empire. Seven years after the resolution was passed, the British Indian Empire was divided into two states, India and Pakistan. The Pakistan Day parade remained suspended for a period of eight years until it was restarted in 2015 after Pakistan visibly achieved successes against militancy in the country. Special security measures have been put in place in Islamabad and its neighboring garrison city of Rawalpindi.