Yadgar-e-Fatah unveiled in Islamabad to honour Marka-e-Haq

A 220-foot monument honouring Pakistan’s victory in Marka-e-Haq and the country’s martyrs has been unveiled in Islamabad, with a spectacular night-time ceremony featuring a 3D light show and national songs.

The Yadgar-e-Fatah was unveiled at a ceremony on Saturday night organised jointly by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the Capital Development Authority (CDA), state-run Radio Pakistan reported.

A night of light and song

The highlight was a 3D projection mapping and illumination display on the monument itself. The show told the story of Pakistan’s victory in Marka-e-Haq, and honoured the roles of the people, the Pakistan Air Force, the Pakistan Navy and the armed forces in defending the country.

Prominent and award-winning singers from across Pakistan performed national songs and paid tribute to the martyrs and ghazis, those who fought and survived.

Federal Secretary for Information and Broadcasting Ashfaq Ahmed Khalil attended, along with senior officials and a large number of people from all walks of life. The special guests were high-achieving young Pakistanis who have excelled in different fields.

A symbol of resolve

Radio Pakistan described the monument as “a masterpiece of modern technology and architecture” and “an enduring symbol of the nation’s unwavering resolve, unity, sacrifice and the courage of its Armed Forces”. It was built to honour the country’s martyrs and commemorate Marka-e-Haq.

How to visit

• Opening hours: 5pm to 10pm
• Days: Tuesday to Sunday
• Tickets: free, available from the official website, yadgarefatah.com

What was Marka-e-Haq?

Marka-e-Haq is the name Pakistan gives to the military conflict with India in May 2025. Relations between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have remained frozen since. In April 2025, just before the conflict, India declared the Indus Waters Treaty “in abeyance”, a move Pakistan has since taken to the UN Security Council, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif raised the conflict in his address to the UN General Assembly last month.

Tensions remain high. This week, two Pakistani villagers were killed by India’s Border Security Force near the border in Kasur, and the ISPR exposed what it called an Indian “false flag” claim by presenting alive a former soldier India said it had killed.

A nation’s tribute

The unveiling comes as Pakistan’s security forces fight a surge in terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, with soldiers and police losing their lives almost every week. Ministers and leaders have repeatedly called for national unity behind the armed forces. On Sunday, Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said the nation “stands shoulder to shoulder with the Pakistan Army, whose sacrifices for the country will always be remembered”.

Why it matters

Monuments tell a nation’s story to the next generation. With free entry and evening opening hours, the Yadgar-e-Fatah gives families in the capital a place to remember those who defended Pakistan, and to reflect on what was at stake. Read our reports on the Kasur villagers killed by Indian fire and on Pakistan’s stand on Kashmir at the UN.

This article draws on reporting by Radio Pakistan.