Pakistan celebrates 75th Independence Day with traditional zeal

Islamabad: The Pakistani nation on Saturday celebrated 75th Independence Day on August 14 with traditional zeal and enthusiasm through a number of activities to highlight the struggle of our forefathers and national heroes for acquiring a separate homeland.

The day was dawn with special prayers and a 31 gun salute in the federal capital and 21 gun salute at all provincial capitals. There was a dramatic pause at 8:58 am throughout the country with the sounding of sirens to herald the flag hoisting ceremony at 9 a.m.

Special prayers were offered in mosques at dawn for peace, solidarity, and prosperity of the country. Different public and private departments arranged special functions and activities including seminars, discussion programmes, photographic exhibitions, painting, poetry, national songs, and debate competitions.

All the major roads and avenues of the federal capital, like other cities, were decorated with flags, banners, and buntings to present a festive look. The major public and private buildings in the cities were also illuminated to mark this important occasion.

President Dr Arif Alvi has addressed a national flag hoisting ceremony arranged here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr to mark Pakistan’s 75th Independence Day. The ceremony was attended by Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaisar, Chairman Senate Sajid Sinjrani, Begum Samina Alvi, high civil and military authorities, parliamentarians, notable personalities, students and media.

President Dr Arif Alvi, on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations, has conferred Military Awards to the officers and soldiers of Pakistan Army, Navy and Air Force.

Prime Minister Imran Khan Saturday urged the youth to develop three characteristics of ‘truth, justice and valour’ as enunciated by Allama Muhammad Iqbal in his poetry. The prime minister posted his message on his twitter handle as the nation was celebrating the 75th Independence Day.

“My message on Independence Day especially for our youth. These three characteristics – truth, justice and valour – transform ordinary human beings into great ones,” the prime minister said in a tweet.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Saturday cut a cake at the Ministry of Information on the occasion of Independence Day.

The minister also planted a tree in the premises of the ministry on the occasion under the Prime Minister’s Clean and Green Pakistan Vision. Senior officials of the ministry including Federal Secretary Information Shahera Shahid MD PTV Amir Manzoor, DG Radio Pakistan Malik Muhammad Asim were also present on the occasion.

State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Saturday attended the flag hoisting ceremony at the Commissioner Complex on the Independence Day.

An impressive change of the guards ceremony was held at the mausoleum of founder of Pakistan Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah. A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Navy assumed the ceremonial guards’ duty.

A prestigious change of guard ceremony was held at mausoleum of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal on the Independence Day here on Saturday. Corps Commander Lahore Major General Aniqur Rehman graced the ceremony as the chief guest while Director General Rangers Punjab Major General Amir Majeed was also present.

A smartly turned out contingent of the Pakistan Army assumed the charge of guards from the Pakistan Rangers. The guests laid separate wreaths and offered Fateha at the grave of Allama Dr Muhammad Iqbal.

Sindh Governor Imran Ismail visited Mazar-i-Quaid along with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah and laid wreath and offered fateha. Special programmes were organized in the metropolis to celebrate the Independence Day in a befitting manner.

Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan Saturday hoisted the national flag at Chief Minister’s House to celebrate the 75th Independence Day of Pakistan. On this occasion, a special one minute silence was also observed while the national anthem was also played. A smart contingent of police presented guard of honour.

The chief minister on the occasion also planted a sapling in connection with Green Pakistan Day.

The 75th Independence Day of Pakistan was celebrated with national fervour in Ziarat district on Saturday. The main ceremony was held at Qauid-e-Azam Residency where Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ziarat Waqar Khursheed Alam hoisted national flag as chief guest.

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Saturday joined the nation to celebrate the Independence Day of the country with fervour and dignity. The Day commenced with offering of special “Dua’” for the integrity, progress and prosperity of the country in mosques of Pakistan Air Force Bases and Air Headquarters (AHQs).

To mark this auspicious occasion, a flag hoisting ceremony was held at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. Inspector General Pakistan Air Force, Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Nadeem Sabir hoisted the national flag.

Independence Day was celebrated in all the Zones of National Highways and Motorways Police (NHMP) on Saturday. A flag hoisting ceremony was also held at the Line Headquarters Islamabad on the occasion of Independence Day.

Like rest of the country, the Independence Day celebrations were held in all districts of Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday. The day was started with special prayers for the development, prosperity and stability of the country while processions, rallies and speech competitions were organized at different places of Gilgit-Baltistan.

On the occasion, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minster Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi paid rich tributes to father of the nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah for his untiring efforts for carving out a separate homeland for the Muslims of the Subcontinent as a result of which a new Islamic state was emerged on the world map.

In Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC), other Hurriyat leaders and organizations felicitated the people and government of Pakistan on the Independence Day.

The APHC Working Vice Chairman, Ghulam Ahmad Gulzar, in a statement issued in Srinagar, congratulated the people and Government of Pakistan on Independence Day and prayed for security and prosperity of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s national flag was unfurled in the United Nations (UN) compound by Ambassador

A flag hoisting ceremony was held at the Embassy of Pakistan in Beijing on Saturday to celebrate the 75th Independence Day.