LAHORE    -    Pakistan’s diamond jubilee indepen­dence anniversary was observed with great patriotic zeal in the city.

Green crescent flags were seen wav­ing everywhere with children along with elders and youth looked excited and passionate. They prayed for the de­velopment and prosperity of Pakistan.

The day began with a 21-gun salute fired at the Ayub Stadium in the provin­cial capital. The ceremony commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran. A flag hoisting ceremony was held at Hazoori Bagh Shahi Fort which was at­tended by foreign guests and members of assembly.

Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi participated in the ceremony as the chief guest and performed the flag hoisting ceremony in front of Hazuri Bagh Alamgiri gate. After the flag hoist­ing ceremony chief minister Punjab Pervaiz Elahi visited Mazar-i-Iqbal to pay homage to the national poet. Wreaths were laid upon the grave of the poet and prayers were offered for the sovereignty and development of Pakistan. IG Punjab Faisal Shahkar and others accompanied the CM during the ceremony. People patrolled the streets and roads of the city on cars and motor­bikes waving the flag of their beloved motherland. They passed through the streets playing loud national songs in the cars. Stalls and shops of Pakistani flag, hats and badges were set up in dif­ferent markets and squares of the city.

People along with their children and families continued to buy patriotic flag caps and badges from these stalls. Spec­tacular fireworks were also displayed in different areas of the city. People were also spotted dancing to the tunes of national songs played on loud sound systems in the streets and squares of the city. Many youths and minors paint­ed the Pakistani flag on their faces. The citizens decorated their streets and neighborhoods in the colour of the na­tional flag and hoisted it in every house and street. Different brands and shops offered special discount offers for the citizens. Children were also seen cel­ebrating independence with the spirit of patriotism. People along with their families visited different parks of the city where various celebrations regard­ing the special day were held.

Celebrating the independence day with such a special and wonderful pas­sion by the people of this country stuck in economic turmoil is a proof of how much this nation loves the pure soil of their homeland. Inflation-stricken people spent lavishly on this Indepen­dence Day and bought flags, badges, hats, shoes and other stuff.

On the other hand, the girls also wore white and green shalwar kameez along with the combination of white and green bangles. Expressing his feelings, a senior citizen Ahmad Hasan said that today’s generation is lucky to have been born in a free country. Ahmed Hassan further said that it was not enough to celebrate the joy of Independence Day. He said every individual should work hard and dedicatedly so that this coun­try can become a better place for the generations to come.