Pakistan observed its 61st Defence Day on September 6, with citizens and military officials across the country paying tribute to soldiers and officers killed in wars and counter-terrorism operations. People from Karachi to Khunjerab visited the graves of martyrs and recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider, Pakistan’s highest military gallantry award, laying floral wreaths and holding solemn ceremonies.
Armed forces contingents presented formal salutes at memorials dedicated to recipients of the Nishan-e-Haider, including those who died in the 1948 Kashmir War, the 1965 war with India, the Kargil conflict in 1999, and more recent operations. Brigadier Mehmood Shah, a retired military official, discussed the legacy of sacrifice starting with Captain Raja Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed in 1948 through Major Raja Aziz Bhatti Shaheed in 1965 and Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed in 1999. He noted that Squadron Leader Muhammad Mahmood Alam shot down multiple enemy aircraft during the 1965 war, and that Pakistan occupied significant Indian territory before the conflict ended.
Defence Day commemorates September 6, 1965, when India launched a military offensive against Pakistan without warning. Brigadier Shah stated that Pakistan Air Force and artillery played decisive roles in the 1965 war and that the nation was positioned to advance further had fighting continued. He also referenced more recent military operations, including the February 2019 aerial engagement in which Pakistan shot down Indian aircraft and captured a pilot, as well as operations in 2025 described as Marka-e-Haq.