Yadgar-i-Fatah monument inaugurated in Islamabad on eve of Independence Day

Why This Matters

Key context: <p>The Yadgar-i-Fatah monument, built to honour Pakistan’s martyrs and commemorate <em>Marka-i-Haq</em>, was inaugurated by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Thursday night, on the eve of the country’s 80th Independence Day.</p> <figure class='media w-full w-full media-- media--embed ' data-original-src='https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GEEo3iuaa4'> <div class='media__item media__item--youtube '><iframe src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5GEEo3iuaa4?enablejsapi=1&controls=1&modestbranding=1&rel=0' loading='lazy' allowfullscreen='' frameborder='0' scrolling='no' width='100%' height='100%'></iframe></div> </figure> <p>Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif were in attendance and stood for the national anthem, played by a military band.</p> <p>Other distinguished military officers and senior officials attended the ceremony.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/13223437465c182.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/13223437465c182.webp' alt='(From L-R) Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attend the inauguration ceremony of the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. &mdash; Screengrab via YouTube/ISPR Official' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>(From L-R) Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Naveed Ashraf, Chief of Defence Forces and Chief of Army Staff Field Marshal Asim Munir, President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif attend the inauguration ceremony of the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. — Screengrab via YouTube/ISPR Official</figcaption> </figure> <p>Addressing the ceremony, PM Shehbaz congratulated the nation on Independence Day and said that under Quaid-i-Azam’s leadership, “We entered the realm of freedom from the darkness of slavery. Our elders sacrificed their lives and property.</p> <p>“Yadgar-i-Fatah symbolises our resolve and determination and the domination of our armed forces over the enemy,” he added.</p> <p>The premier also congratulated the nation on <em>Marka-i-Haq</em> and paid tribute to Field Marshal Munir for his leadership during the conflict, as well as Air Chief Marshal Sidhu and Admiral Ashraf.</p> <p>“Under his leadership, we defeated the enemy,” PM Shehbaz said.</p> <p>Paying tribute to the architects and engineers who designed the monument, the premier expressed appreciation for its sleek design and eight-month completion time.</p> <p>“Its completion in eight months would not have been possible if the field marshal hadn’t invested his deep interest,” PM Shehbaz added. “This is not just a monument of blocks, but a tribute to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to defend the nation. That triumph is the victory of our army and our people, and this is our pride.”</p> <p>He noted that Pakistan wants peace, not war, and that desiring peace should not be perceived as a sign of weakness.</p> <p>“With dignity and determination, we are resolute for peace,” the premier stated, adding that Pakistan had been recognised as a “guarantor of peace” in the region.</p> <p>“If anyone challenges Pakistan’s sovereignty and defence, they will receive an even stronger reply than in May 2025,” he warned.</p> <p>PM Shehbaz noted that after suffering defeat, India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty unilaterally.</p> <p>“I warn that every drop of water is our red line. If India does not keep on the right track, we will give it a direct response,” he further warned.</p> <p>Visuals broadcast on television showed a large contingent of personnel from the military, paramilitary forces and police presenting a guard of honour, accompanied by a military band.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/1322184749879e3.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/1322184749879e3.webp' alt='Personnel from the military, paramilitary forces and police present their standards during the inauguration ceremony of the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. &mdash; Screengrab via YouTube/ISPR Official' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>Personnel from the military, paramilitary forces and police present their standards during the inauguration ceremony of the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. — Screengrab via YouTube/ISPR Official</figcaption> </figure> <p>The marble monument was completed within eight months and features five archways, which represent the five pillars of Islam, as well as the five pillars of Pakistan itself — the government, the military, the media, the people and the ideology underpinning the nation.</p> <p>Additionally, they represent the three branches of the military — the Army, the Air Force and the Navy — as well as cyber-defence and space warfare.</p> <p>As part of the inauguration, a light and sound show was presented with moving images projected directly onto the monument, state television showed. One of the sequences highlighted the history of Pakistan and its military up until <em>Marka-i-Haq</em>.</p> <p>Iconic moments from the May war were also projected onto the monument, such as when villagers and Punjab Rangers shot at Indian drones together.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/13225443f7c3426.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/13225443f7c3426.webp' alt='Moving graphics are directly projected onto the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument during its inauguration ceremony in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. &mdash; Screengrab via YouTube/PTV News' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>Moving graphics are directly projected onto the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument during its inauguration ceremony in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. — Screengrab via YouTube/PTV News</figcaption> </figure> <p>Following the light show, Pakistan Air Force fighter jets performed a flypast over the monument, deploying flares in the night sky.</p> <figure class='media w-full sm:w-full media-- ' data-original-src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/13231353df531d1.webp'> <div class='media__item '><picture><img src='https://i.dawn.com/primary/2026/08/13231353df531d1.webp' alt='A Pakistan Air Force fighter jet performs a flypast over the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. &mdash; Screengrab via YouTube/PTV News' /></picture></div> <figcaption class='media__caption '>A Pakistan Air Force fighter jet performs a flypast over the Yadgar-i-Fatah monument in Islamabad on August 13, 2026. — Screengrab via YouTube/PTV News</figcaption> </figure> <p>The monument marks Pakistan’s victory over India in a brief military conflict last May.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1996978/the-2025-pakistan-india-conflict-as-it-happened"><u>conflict</u></a> with India — starting from the April 22 <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1905917/at-least-24-killed-in-occupied-kashmir-gunmen-attack-on-tourists-police-source"><u>Pahalgam attack</u></a> to the end of Operation Bunyanum Marsoos with a <a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1909993"><u>ceasefire</u></a> between the two countries on May 10 — has been called “<a href="https://www.dawn.com/news/1910566"><em><u>Marka-i-Haq</u></em></a>” (Battle of Truth) by the state.</p> <p><em>More to follow</em>.</p> This development from dawn.com highlights ongoing changes in the sector.