Our Staff Reporters
MULTAN/HAFIZABAD/BAHAWALNAGAR/FAISALABAD/TT SINGH - 66th Independence Day was celebrated with national fervour in entire south Punjab on Tuesday. The activists of different political and social parties as well as common citizens held flag hoisting functions, meetings, rallies and other activities in Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lodhran, Vehari, Layyah, Mailsi, Rajanpur, Muzaffargarh, Rahim Yar Khan and other adjoining areas. The day dawned with special prayers for the progress, prosperity and security of the country.
In Multan, different chapters of the PML-N held meetings, flag-hoisting functions and rallies, Pakistan Patriot Forum arranged a candle-light vigil and cake-cutting ceremony and Zakariya Open Scouts held flag hoisting ceremony.
The roads and streets were decorated with national flags and buntings while the buildings were beautifully illuminated in the night. The philanthropists distributed edibles among the poor at the shrines of saints at Qila Qasim Bagh.
The workers of the PML-N brought out a rally under the leadership of provincial minister Haji Ehsan Uddin Qureshi, MNA Sheikh Tariq Rasheed and Sultana Shaheen from Raza Hall and marched up to Chowk Kachehri. Police band played national anthem on this occasion while the participants of the rally chanted slogans. The day past peacefully as no untoward incident took place in Multan.
Earlier, addressing the functions Haji Ehsan Uddin Qureshi, Sheikh Tariq Rasheed and other said that Pakistan was our identity and our existence was subject to the existence of this country. They added that some elements played the role of American agents and posed serious threat to national security and solidarity. They stressed upon the rulers to make a pledge on this occasion that they would not flinch from offering any sacrifice for the sake of Pakistan.
They added that 180 million poor Pakistanis were the owners of this land and not the group of looters led by Zardari and Gilani. They said that our forefathers rendered tremendous sacrifices for the establishment of this country and only Mian Nawaz Sharif could steer it out of crisis. They pointed out that problems like price hike, unemployment, loadshedding and lawlessness made the lives of people highly miserable. They added that over billing and high prices of edibles played a key role in increase in poverty and hunger. They asked the rulers to resign if they could not resolve the issues being faced by the poor people.
In Bahawalnagar, Independence day was celebrated with national fervour. The day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the prosperity and integrity of the country. A flag-hoisting ceremony was held at TMA lawn wherein DCO Asim Iqbal hoisted the national flag at 8:58am. On the occasion, he said that we should unite to cope with extremism and should work to materialize the dream of our ancestors, who scarified their lives for the achievement of freedom.
In HAFIZABAD, Independence Day was celebrated in the district with national fervour on Tuesday.
Addressing gathering at District complex, where flag hoisting ceremony took place, DCO Muhammad Asif and DPO Muhammad Waqas Nazir called upon the audience to rededicate themselves to make the country a peaceful heaven by making it truly welfare state for which the Muslims of Indo-Pakistan had rendered supreme sacrifices to achieve separate homeland.
In Nankana Sahib, the main function of the 66th Independence Day was held at Sports Club where besides flag hoisting guard of honour was offered to the position-holders of matriculation examination, speech and easy writing competitions by the district police. After Flag hoisting by PML-N MNA Tahir Barjis, two minute silence was observed and national anthem was sang by the students from different schools.
On the occasion, students and children of Sikh community sang national songs which were appreciated by the participants. Appreciation certificates and cash prizes were distributed among the position-holders of matric examination.
DCO Hassan Iqbal, DPO Syed Ashfaq Anwar, MPAs Rai Muhammad Aslam Kharal, Rai Shah Jahana Bhatti, a large number of officers and citizens attended the ceremony.
In FAISALABAD, Independence Day was celebrated throughout Faisalabad Division with national enthusiasm and fervour. The day was dawned with the recitation of holy Quran at main mosques and special prayers were offered for the prosperity and development of the country.
The main function of flag hoisting was held at Commissioner’s Complex at 9:00am. MPAs - Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Juel Aamir Sahutra, Khalil Tahir Sindhu, Acting Commissioner Naseem Sadiq, CPO Bilal Siddique Kamyana, veterans of Pakistan Movement Sheikh Bashir Ahmad and Haji Bashir Ahmad (Insaafwalay), officers from various Government Departments, educationists, students from local educational institutions, boy scouts and girl guides along with elite of the town including people from different walks of life participated in the ceremony.
In TOBA TEK SINGH, The activists of PML-N, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Anjuman Sarfroshan-e-Islam took out separate rallies to celebrate Independence Day here on Tuesday. As per detail, the PTI rally was led by its District President Amjad Javed which was participated in by a large number of workers and activists. Similarly, the PML-N rally was led by Ch Ashfaq and other leaders. On the other hand, Anjuman Sarfroshan-e-Islam also took out a rally to mark the day.