Precious gift of independence must be preserved: Kayani addresses the Azadi Parade

To mark the 61st Independence Day in a befitting manner, a spectacular Army parade was held at the elegantly lit drill square of Pakistan Military Academy at midnight on 13-14 August. The Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, was the chief guest on this occasion. He unfurled the national flag on the dawn of 61st Independence Day.
In his address, The Chief of Army Staff said that Independence Day reminds us that Azadi is a precious gift that we must honour and preserve. This we not only owe to our future generations but to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah himself.
He said it is a moment to uphold Quaid's principles of Unity, Faith and Discipline. "Azadi is not a short-lived feeling. It is indeed a strategy of existence for all times to come; an essence to our national security," he said. COAS said that the new tradition of "Azadi Parade" today carried both a "sense of history" and a "vision for future".
He said that this occasion reminds us of the "indomitable will" of the Muslims of Sub-continent to establish a homeland. "I have full faith that the dream of Pakistan and its vision is as valid for today and tomorrow, as it was in 1947", he added.
COAS reiterated the resolve that Pakistan Army will always rise to call of the nation and will make Pakistan proud amongst the comity of nation. He said, "I have no doubt, that as a nation, we have the capability and capacity to surmount all the challenges confronting us today."
General Kayani said that Pakistan desires to coexist in peace with its neighbours and beyond. He said that the peace with honour and dignity and Azadi with grace could only be guaranteed from a position of strength. He said "Eternal vigilance is the price of Liberty". Earlier, on arrival at the parade venue, The Chief of Army Staff was presented with the general salute.
Spectacular fire works and Military Brass and Pipe Band display marked the culmination of the parade. A large number of people from all walks of life, senior serving and retired civil and military officials witnessed the spectacular parade at Pakistan Military Academy to mark the sixty first Independence Day.