Overview
- Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem carried the torch, lit the cauldron and capped the ceremony with a symbolic javelin throw.
- Fourteen contingents, including defending champions Army, the Air Force, the Higher Education Commission and regional teams, took part in the parade.
- Nearly 2,500 participants marched into the stadium, with thousands of students in the stands.
- The ceremony began almost two hours late before momentum returned with the arrivals of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.
- Competitions span 31 sports across 24 venues, drawing more than 10,000 athletes.