Whole nation demonstrates high spirit for country’s integration, economic prosperity n Armed Forces resolve to make Pakistan’s defence impregnable n PAF releases song n Kashmiris to observe India’s I-Day as Black Day.

ISLAMABAD    -   Pakistan yesterday cel­ebrated its diamond ju­bilee, completion of 75 years of independence, with great national enthu­siasm and traditional zeal.

The day dawned with a 31-gun salute in the federal capital and 21-gun salute in the pro­vincial headquarters.

Special prayers were offered in mosques at dawn for peace, soli­darity and prosperity of the country. The na­tional flag was hoisted at all important public and private buildings as well as streets, bazaars and markets were pro­fusely illuminated.

National flags, bun­tings, portraits of founding fathers, post­ers and banners were seen everywhere as part of the celebration of Independence Day. National television and radio channels high­lighted the services of Pakistan Movement he­roes’ on the day and paid rich tributes to their extra ordinary

 contributions for making Pa­kistan a reality. The change of guards’ ceremony was held at Mazaar-e-Quaid in Karachi, and the cadets of Pakistan Naval Academy assumed the guards duties. A big national flag was hoisted with tomb of Quaid-e-Azam in background amid In­dependence Day celebrations in Karachi.

The main feature of the cel­ebrations every year is the na­tional flag-hoisting ceremony in Islamabad. Prime Minister Mu­hammad Shehbaz Sharif hoisted the national flag during a cere­mony at Convention Centre, Is­lamabad to mark the 75th In­dependence Day of Pakistan. Similar flag-hoisting ceremonies were also held at provincial, di­visional and district headquar­ters levels throughout the coun­try. While celebrating the Day, President Dr Arif Alvi urged the nation to remain steadfast and work wholeheartedly for the de­velopment, progress and pros­perity of the country.

“We need to remain united to overcome financial, economic and security challenges faced by the country. Let us pledge that we will remain steadfast to ren­der any sacrifice for the dignity and self-respect of our people and greatness and glory of our beloved homeland,” the presi­dent said in a message on the 75th anniversary of Indepen­dence of Pakistan.

He stressed that we should not forget our oppressed Kash­miri brothers and sisters of In­dian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K).

Prime Minister Shehbaz Shar­if, in his message on Indepen­dence Day, said that nothing is more dangerous for a nation than internal division, disrup­tion and chaos which under­mine the solidarity and integrity of the country and rob societies of their national purpose. He said that Independence Day is a watershed moment in our na­tion’s history.

Meanwhile, President Dr Arif Alvi conferred Pakistan civ­il awards on 253 Pakistani citi­zens as well as foreign nationals on the occasion of 75th Dia­mond Jubilee Anniversary of the country. The citizens were be­stowed with awards for show­ing excellence and courage in different fields.

The investiture ceremony of these awards will take place on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2023.

Prominent among those who received the awards included Sartaj Aziz, late Hasil Bizenjo, late Chaudhry Ghulam Abbas, late Justice ® Bhagwandas, late Ghulam Ali Chagla and late Sufi Ghulam Tabassum for their ser­vices to Pakistan.

Muhammad Qavi Khan (per­forming arts), Jahangir Khan (Squash), Amjad Islam Am­jad (Poetry), Ahmad Arif Niza­mi (journalism), Mujibur Reh­man Shami (journalism), Altaf Hassan Qureshi (journalism), Bilquis Bano Edhi (social ser­vices), Muhammad Chipa (so­cial services), Sardar Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera (public service) and others were also among the awardees. Moreover, Flag hoist­ing ceremony was also held at President House in Muzaf­farabad where AJK President Barrister Sultan Mehmood and Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas hoisted the national flag. Addressing the ceremony, the AJK president said time is not too far when the oppressed peo­ple of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir would be freed from Indian clutches and people from both sides of Line of Control would celebrate In­dependence Day together.

Pakistan Air Force’s public re­lations department has released a song on the occasion of Dia­mond Jubilee of Pakistan’s Inde­pendence Day.

This song is a tribute to the courage and bravery of the sol­diers of the Pakistan Air Force who created stories of brav­ery in air battles with the ene­my and raised the prestige of the country and the nation. The journey of increasing opera­tional capabilities, innovation and self-reliance of Pakistan Air Force is also a feature of the song. This song has also reiter­ated the determination that the Pakistan armed forces are al­ways ready to fulfil the sacred duty of defending the country with the strength of the nation.

The Kashmir people, while expressing the extreme hatred against India to mark strong protest over New Delhi’s forced August, 5, 2019 nefarious ac­tion of scrapping special status of Jammu and Kashmir state, would observe India’s indepen­dence day on August 15 as Black Day.

Every year Kashmiris observe, India’s all national days includ­ing the independence day as black day to condemn her con­stantly denying Kashmiris right to self determination besides to apprise the external world of the India’s ongoing worst reign of state terrorism making peo­ple of occupied Jammu Kashmir state besieged, at gun point of over two million of her military and para military troops.

India has unleashed histo­ry’s worst atrocities and state terrorism against the people in occupied Jammu and Kash­mir fighting for liberation of the motherland from the forced In­dian rule since past 75 years.

The observance of the sched­uled Indian Independence day as black day is also aimed at to express indignation against the Indian imperialism for forcibly keeping bulk part of the State in her unlawful and forcible occu­pation for past 75 years, orga­nizers said.

“Anti-India rallies followed by protest demonstrations in all small and major cities and towns at both sides of the LoC, will be hallmark of the day”, an AJK govt. spokesman told APP here Friday.

“Participants of the protest rallies will wear black bands around their arms as a sign of hatred against India, according to the organizers of the special black day programs. Black flags will be hoisted atop the private and buildings by the protesting Kashmiris at both sides of the LoC”, according to the reports.

In Azad Jammu & Kashmir, anti-India rallies will be staged and processions will be brought out in all small and major cities including AJK’s capital city of Muzafferabad and all other nine district headquarters of Mirpur, Kotli, Bagh, Bhimbher, Paland­ri, Rawalakot, Haveili, Jhelum Valley and Neelam valley by the people belonging to walks of life to reiterate severe hatred against the Indian imperialism