Independence Day celebrated in Lahore with zeal, enthusiasm

LAHORE: Like other parts of the country, people celebrated the 75th Independence Day in the provincial capital on Saturday with zeal and enthusiasm.

The day dawned with special prayers for the solidarity and progress of the country. Official festivities started with the hoisting of national flags at government and private buildings and a 21-gun salute in Lahore.

A change of guard took place at the mausoleum of poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal. Major roads, markets, public and private buildings were illuminated and extensively decorated with national flags, portraits of national heroes, especially Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Iqbal, banners and buntings.

The public and private institutions arranged flag hoisting and cake-cutting ceremonies to mark the day.

The state-owned and private television channels aired special programmes. Newspapers published special editions to pay tributes to the workers of the Pakistan Movement.

Youth came out in large numbers on the roads riding cars and motorcycles decorated with national flags to enjoy the festivity.

Police pickets on important roads could not stop a big number of hooligans from creating problems for the revelers.

Similarly, a flag hoisting and cake-cutting ceremony was held at the Wapda House to commemorate the Independence Day.

WAPDA chairman Lt Gen Muzammil Hussain (Retd) hoisted the national flag. Wapda Member Finance Naveed Asghar, Member Water Abdul Zahir Khan Durrani, Memebr Power Jamil Akhtar, Wapda Secretary Fakharuzzaman Ali Cheema, Human Resource Development general manager Brig Shoaib Taqi (Retd), PSO to Chairman Brig Mateen Ahmed Mirza (Retd), senior Wapda officials, employees and their families witnessed the flag hoisting ceremony in the Wapda Auditorium.

Addressing the ceremony, the Wapda chairman congratulated the audience on the Independence Day, underlining the need to work in harmony for national development.

Wapda, as a vibrant organisation, has been tremendously contributing towards national development by harnessing the vital resource of water, he said, adding that its domain encompasses whole spectrum of national security, including water, food and energy security of Pakistan.

The authority is committed to completing 10 mega projects by ‪2028/29 to enhance gross water storage by 11.7 million acres feet (MAF) and power generation by another 9,025MW, he added.

The chairman paid homage to Wapda officials who are working on the projects for economic development and social uplift of the country. A huge national flag, measuring 100×40 feet and weighing 180 kilograms was displayed at the Wapda House.

The National Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) also celebrated the Independence Day at its offices and grid stations across the country.

A graceful ceremony was held at New Kot Lakhpat grid station, where NTDC managing director Engr Azaz Ahmad hoisted the national flag.

He urged the NTDC officers and staff to serve the organisation with integrity, honesty and dedication to regain national development of the country.

Ahmad also planted a tree at the grid station in compliance with the Prime Minister’s campaign “Clean and Green Pakistan”.

A national flag was also hoisted at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry to mark the Independence Day.

As the national anthem was played, LCCI senior vice president Muhammad Nasir Hameed Khan and vice president Tahir Manzoor Chaudhry raised the flag to the mast before a gathering of representatives of trade and industry.

Sohail Lashari, Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, Mian Nauman Kabir, Khawaja Khawar Rashid, Zeshan Khalil, Fiaz Haider and Shahid Nazir were prominent among others.

The two leaders congratulated the entire nation on the auspicious occasion of the Independence Day and paid rich tributes to Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah for his sterling leadership, saying Pakistan was created to ensure religious freedom, social and economic equality for all the citizens.

The LCCI office-bearers said August 14 is much more than an anniversary for the people of Pakistan. It not only marks the end of the British rule, it commemorates the founding of an independent state created by Muslims through their aspirations and cherished ideology.

They said Pakistan has made great progress since independence but much has yet to be done to achieve the desired goals and to get the economic stability. They expressed the hope that the present regime will frame and follow the policies that would usher in a new era of progress and economic prosperity for the nation.

They called for renewing the pledge to work for those ideals and to come up to the Quaid’s expectations. On the occasion, a cake-cutting ceremony was also held.

Meanwhile, NESPAK arranged a simple but impressive ceremony at NESPAK House to mark the day.

Dr Tahir Masood, managing director NESPAK, hoisted the national flag and paid homage to Muslims who rendered sacrifices for the creation of a separate homeland.

He said NESPAK acquired a business of more than Rs13.30 billion last year, which is very commendable. He appreciated the hard work and efforts of NESPAK employees. On this occasion, the managing director gave away shields to those employees who demonstrated good performance during the year.

In the end, the NESPAK managing director cut a cake along with senior officials to mark the celebration.

Minister for Health Dr Yasmin Rashid hoisted national flag at several events, including King Edward Medical University and Fatima Jinnah Medical University.

Addressing the flag hoisting and cake cutting ceremony at Lahore General Hospital, principal Post-Graduate Medical Institute and Amir Uddin Medical College Prof Dr Sardar Muhammad Al-Fareed Zafar stressed the need for collective efforts for making Pakistan strong and prosperous. The faculty, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff attended the ceremony.

Prof Zafar said that the young generation must pay special attention to the acquisition of science and technology and modern knowledge to meet the challenges of the present age so that the Pakistani nation can keep pace with the developed nations.

He also asked the doctors, nurses and paramedics to reaffirm their commitment to serve the suffering humanity today so that the people can have the best facilities and a healthy society can be created.

University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences also celebrated the Independence Day in all campuses with zeal and zest.

The flag hoisting ceremonies, walks, seminars, patriotic songs, vice chancellor’s massage regarding the Independence Day, and a UVAS documentary was featured at all campuses.

Vice chancellor Prof Dr Nasim Ahmad hoisted the national flag at Ravi Campus Pattoki, while principal officer students affair Prof Dr Athar Mahmood, dean Faculty of Fisheries and Wildlife Prof Dr Noor Khan, principal officer Ravi Campus Dr Arshad Javid and a large number of faculty members and administrative staff with their families attended these ceremonies.

A flag hoisting and cake-cutting ceremony was also held at the Pakistan Red Crescent, Punjab Provincial Headquarters Lahore.

Punjab PRC chairman former justice Sheikh Ahmed Farooq was the chief guest. The members of the Management Committee, secretary, staff and volunteers attended the ceremony.

A flag hoisting ceremony was held at Shaikh Zayed Hospital Lahore. Prof Dr Mateen Izhar, chairman and dean of the Shaikh Zayed Medical Complex and administrator Dr Akbar Hussain hoisted the national flag.

The faculty, administrative officers, doctors, nurses and paramedical staff attended the event. Prayers were offered for the development and prosperity of the country.

The Lahore Waste Management Company also arranged a cake-cutting ceremony at its head office. All the heads of departments along with LWMC CEO Rafia Haider attended the event.