The prestigious ceremony of Defense and Martyrs Day was held in General Headquarters (GHQ) Rawalpindi, on November 23, 2022. This event is celebrated every year to commemorate the sacrifices of the heroes who were martyred in the September War, but this year the event was postponed in order to express solidarity with the flood victims across the country. At the event, Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in his last speech as the Army Chief, paid tribute to the families of the martyrs and said that the martyrs of Pakistan are our pride and we will never let their sacrifices go in vain. He said that the Pakistan Army has always served the country and the nation beyond its capacity and will continue to do so in the future, God willing.

Addressing the audience, he said that Pakistan is God's blessing, our existence is due to its security and survival, our martyrs have made immense sacrifices for its freedom and stability and we are proud of them. He thanked the families of the martyrs and said that they are the pride of the nation. He said that the safety and integrity of the motherland is and will remain our first duty, and to fulfill it, we will not hesitate to make any sacrifice.

He further said that the nations that forget their martyrs disappear. Whether it is war time or peace time, the soldiers of Pakistan Army are always engaged in the defense of the motherland with their lives at risk.

Earlier, he visited the Martyrs' Memorial, paid tribute and laid a floral wreath. Family members of martyrs and veterans including serving and retired military officers also participated in the ceremony.