Pakistan Day: Military holds first parade in 7 years as fight against Taliban continues

The Pakistani military has held its first Republic Day parade in seven years amid tight security.

Pakistan Day, which falls on 23 March, commemorates the adoption of the Lahore Resolution which, signed by all 25 members of the All-India Muslim League, granted grater autonomy to Muslims in British India. The resolution is also seen as the first step towards the independence of Pakistan from India.

No parade had been held since 2008, following the deepening of the conflict between the army and the Pakistani Taliban.

"Pakistan is resolved to redeem its pledge given to its founding fathers that it will protect the homeland," Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who attended the parade, was quoted by Reuters as saying.

Cellular phone networks were blocked in a bid to prevent any strike by the militants, who have often used mobile phone signals to trigger bombs.

The parade was held as the country is still mourning 150 people, including 134 children, killed by the Pakistani Taliban in the December 2014 Peshawar school massacre.

Following the attack, the government vowed to kill terrorists and lifted a six-year-moratorium on the death penalty.

The military said on 22 March it had killed 80 terrorists in heavy clashes in the Tirah Valley in the Khyber region over the last few days.