Pakistan marked its 78th Independence Day with a state ceremony in Islamabad’s Jinnah Sports Stadium, where President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif led tributes to the nation’s founders and armed forces. Zardari hailed recent gains in the military’s Marka-e-Haq operation as evidence of national resilience, while the armed forces issued a separate message emphasising their “unbreakable bond” with citizens. In his televised address, Sharif invited all political parties, civil society and other stakeholders to join a proposed “Charter of Stability,” describing it as a broad framework for economic recovery and political reconciliation. He warned that while peaceful protest is a right, the government would not tolerate violence or incitement, and stressed that Pakistan is emerging from crisis with inflation down to about 5% and policy rates reduced to 11%. International leaders also sent greetings. Most notably, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio used the occasion to say Washington “deeply appreciates Pakistan’s engagement on counterterrorism and trade” and wants to explore new cooperation on critical minerals and hydrocarbons. The statement follows a July trade deal that Islamabad says should draw more U.S. investment into projects such as the Reko Diq copper-gold mine in Balochistan.