Army postpones Defence Day ceremony in solidarity with flood victims

The Pakistan Army on Wednesday (August 31) postponed the Defence Day ceremony — to demonstrate solidarity with flood-affected Pakistanis. The ceremony is held every year on September 6 at GHQ in Rawalpindi.

The announcement was made by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General, Major General Babar Iftikhar, in a tweet from his twitter account.
“In solidarity with the flood-affected people of Pakistan, central ceremony at GHQ to commemorate Defence & Martyrs Day on 6 September has been postponed,” he wrote.

“Pakistan Armed Forces shall continue serving our brothers and sisters struck by unprecedented floods,” he added.

Devastating floods have left Pakistan reeling, with the death toll now standing at 1,191. According to the data issued by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 422 people have lost their lives in Sindh, 253 in Balochistan and 264 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

It has been estimated that nearly one-third of the country is submerged in flood waters with more than 30 million people displaced from their homes. The raging waters have also wrecked havoc on the country’s infrastructure, with a number of roads, houses, schools and bridges damaged by the floods.

The armed forces are engaged in rescue and relief operations along with provincial and federal administrations.