A joint military parade of Pakistan's armed forces will take place on Pakistan Day, 23rd March, after a gap of seven years. "The decision has been made to hold a joint military services parade on March 23," a top military source told a private TV channel on the condition of anonymity. The parade will be organised by joint staff headquarters in Rawalpindi, which oversees the three armed forces of Pakistan.
The venue for the parade is yet to be finalised, with the two vast compounds shortlisted as potential sites. The last military parade took place on March 23, 2008 during the tenure of General Pervez Musharraf (Retd) as a civilian president. Furthermore, Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to attend the Pakistan Day parade as chief guest. Both China and Pakistan are working out details of the Chinese president's visit through diplomatic channels.
Chinese authorities have been assured about maximum security during Jinping's upcoming visit. Contingents of the Pakistan army, navy and air force are expected to arrive in Islamabad soon for parade rehearsals, with stringent security measures in place. Last year, the military parade was cancelled for the sixth time in a row due to security reasons.