Due to ongoing inclement weather and rains forecasted over the next two days, the Pakistan Day parade in the capital has been rescheduled, said a press release from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The Joint Services Pakistan Day Parade will now be held on March 25, 2021, as per the program and timings already specified.
The Pakistan Day parade is held annually on March 23 in celebration of Pakistan Resolution Day. The day marks the anniversary of the Lahore Resolution passed on March 23, 1940, to establish an independent federation for the Muslims of the Indian Sub-continent.
Weather forecasts obtained by the Pakistan Meteorological Department suggest that the upcoming days will be rainy, and hamper the parade proceedings.
Meanwhile, the surge of COVID-19 cases in the country with the arrival of the third wave also casts doubt on the parade proceedings. Last year, the government had cancelled the Pakistan Day parade as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
In the last 24 hours, 3,669 people tested positive for COVID-19 in Pakistan while 20 lost their lives, according to the latest statistics released by the National Command and Operation Centre (NCOC). Most casualties were seen in the province of Punjab followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The positivity rate currently stands at about 9 per cent, marking the highest rate recorded in Pakistan over the last eight months.
As of March 22, the total active COVID-19 cases in Pakistan stand at 33,070. Pakistan has so far recorded 13,863 casualties due to the virus.