President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday inaugurated the Yadgar-e-Fatah in Islamabad, a monument built to honour the sacrifices of the country’s martyrs and commemorate Pakistan’s victory in Marka-e-Haq.

The inauguration ceremony, held on the eve of Independence Day, was attended by Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu and Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf.

The president was accorded a formal welcome as contingents of the armed forces, civil armed forces and police from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan participated in the ceremony.

Police contingents from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan also took part.

The ceremony reflected national unity and solidarity, with the participating contingents presenting a guard of honour as a military band played the national anthem.

Chairman Senate, National Assembly Speaker, federal ministers, senior civil and military officials, governors and chief ministers of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as well as foreign diplomats, were also present.

A documentary highlighting the significance of Yadgar-e-Fatah and the country’s military history was screened during the ceremony.

The monument comprises five archways, symbolising the five pillars of Islam and what the design describes as five pillars of Pakistan: the government, military, media, people and national ideology.

The structure also incorporates references to the three armed services, cyber defence and space warfare.

A permanent projection-mapping system has been installed at the monument, allowing light, music and moving visuals to be combined with its architecture.

During the inauguration, a light and sound show depicted important episodes from Pakistan’s history and military achievements. The presentation also featured visuals from the May 2025 conflict with India, including scenes depicting civilians and Punjab Rangers responding to Indian drones.

The government has referred to the May 2025 conflict as Marka-e-Haq, or the Battle of Truth.

The confrontation followed the April 22 Pahalgam incident and ended with a ceasefire between Pakistan and India on May 10 after Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, in which India lost eight fighter jets.