ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Day is being celebrated across the country with national zeal and fervour. The nation commenced celebrations for 77th Pakistan Day with a pledge to make the country stronger by wiping out the menace of terrorism, achieving sustainable economic growth and ensuring political stability. The day marks the historic event of 1940, when the Lahore Resolution was passed demanding a separate homeland for Muslims of the subcontinent. The highlight of the day was the joint military parade which was held at the Parade Ground near the Shakarparian hills in Islamabad. President Mamnoon Hussain was the chief guest of the event. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Mohammad Zakaullah, Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sohail Aman and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif witnessed the parade. The ceremony commenced with the singing of national anthem after which the president observed the parade from a jeep. Chinese and Saudi troops and a Turkish military band also featured in the parade for the first in the country’s history. The military parade had resumed in 2015 after a gap of seven years and was seen as a manifestation of the military’s show of strength in the wake of a shocking attack in 2014 on the Army Public School (APS) in Peshawar, which left 150 dead, including 132 schoolchildren.