Pakistan’s national hockey team players celebrated Independence Day with a heartfelt rendition of the patriotic song “Shukria Pakistan” in the Netherlands.
The video went viral on the internet in no time, with the men’s hockey team player singing the song while travelling in a bus ahead of the mega event.
The Green Shirts are currently in the Netherlands to participate in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026, which is being jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
Pakistan have been placed in Group D alongside arch-rivals India, England and Wales.
The national side secured qualification for the World Cup after finishing runners-up in the qualifiers earlier this year.
Ahead of their World Cup campaign, the players paid tribute to Pakistan and celebrated the country’s Independence Day by singing “Shukria Pakistan” in the Netherlands.
Today, Pakistan is celebrating its 79th Independence Day with national enthusiasm and patriotic spirit. The day began with a gun salute, while special prayers were offered after Fajr for the country’s progress, unity, peace and prosperity.
A dignified change of guard ceremony was held at the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi. Smartly turned-out cadets from the Pakistan Naval Academy assumed duties as the ceremonial guards.
The chief guest at the ceremony, Pakistan Naval Academy Commandant Rear Admiral Muhammad Umair, laid a floral wreath at the mausoleum and offered Fateha.
Earlier, a 21-gun salute was fired in Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta to mark the beginning of Independence Day celebrations.
Google celebrates Pakistan’s Independence with special doodle
Google has marked Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day with a special Doodle, replacing its usual homepage logo with artwork inspired by the country’s national colours.
The Doodle appeared on Google’s Pakistan homepage on August 14, featuring Pakistan’s green and white flag waving against a sky-blue background, while the “Google” logo appears in cloud-like lettering.
The special artwork is part of Google’s longstanding tradition of creating Doodles to commemorate national days, cultural occasions, historic milestones and notable achievements.
This year’s design offers a light and atmospheric tribute to Pakistan, bringing the Independence Day celebrations to one of the world’s most widely used digital platforms.
Also read: ‘Mera Pyara Watan Pakistan’: ISPR’s new Independence Day song out now