ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman have sent messages of congratulations to Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari on the country’s Republic Day, the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said early Tuesday.
Pakistan marks Mar. 23 each year as Republic Day, more commonly known as Pakistan Day, commemorating the passage of the historic Lahore Resolution in 1940. Adopted at the All-India Muslim League’s annual session, the resolution called for a separate homeland for Muslims of the subcontinent and ultimately led to the creation of Pakistan on Aug. 14, 1947.
“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud has sent a cable of congratulations to President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari on his country’s National Day,” the Saudi foreign ministry said in the statement.
“The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques wished the president continued good health and happiness, and the government and people of Pakistan steady progress and prosperity,” it added.
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also sent a separate cable conveying congratulations and best wishes to President Zardari on the occasion.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have long maintained close economic, diplomatic and security ties. Last year, the two countries signed a joint defense pact pledging that aggression against one would be treated as an attack on both, formalizing decades of military and security cooperation.
The two sides have also remained in close contact at the highest levels during the ongoing war in Iran, which has spilled over into the Gulf region.
This year’s Pakistan Day comes against the backdrop of heightened regional tensions, with Islamabad recently engaged in its most intense fighting with Afghanistan in years between Feb. 26 and Mar. 18.
The Afghan Taliban said their attacks were in response to earlier Pakistani airstrikes, while Islamabad has accused Kabul of sheltering militants behind cross-border violence, a charge the Taliban denies.
Pakistan announced a temporary pause in hostilities from midnight Mar. 18-19 to midnight Mar. 23-24 in light of the Eid Al-Fitr festival, even as its armed forces reiterated their resolve a day earlier to defend the country’s borders and counter all forms of “terrorism.”
Mar. 23 celebrations traditionally begin with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and a 21-gun salute in provincial capitals, followed by a military parade showcasing the country’s armed forces.
However, Pakistan canceled this year’s parade and related ceremonies under government austerity measures linked to the ongoing Gulf oil crisis.
