Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): All is set to celebrate the 71ST Independence Day of Pakistan today – Tuesday – August 14, with traditional zeal and fervor, across Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Like all previous years, the Kashmiris are fully prepared to celebrate the independence day of Pakistan with great enthusiasm and devotion coupled with the renewal of the pledge to continue the ongoing struggle for the birth right of self determination to reach the ultimate destination.
An AJK government spokesperson told this Correspondent here on Monday that the sanctified day will dawn with special prayers in the mosques all over AJK for the stability, prosperity, security and speedy progress of Pakistan and for the early success of the Kashmiris indigenous struggle for the achievement of their legitimate right to self determination.
The National flag hoisting ceremonies, rallies, processions and the colorful functions under the aegis of various public and private sector, social and political organizations in all small and major towns and cities of Azad Jammu & Kashmir will be the hall mark of this national day of exceptional importance.
It will be a state holiday across AJK on this occasion. Major National flag hoisting ceremony in AJK will be held in the capital city of Muzafferabad.
Similar flag hoisting ceremonies will be held in all other ten district headquarters of AJK including Mirpur, Kotli, Bagh, Sudhanoti, Bhimbher, Rawalakot, Havaili, Hattiyan and Neelum valley. The national flag hoisting ceremonies will also be held at all tehsil headquarters as well as subordinate towns and villages.
In Mirpur a grand Jashan-e-Azadi Pakistan rally in Mirpur to celebrate the 71st founding anniversary of Pakistan under the auspices of the local traders body – Markazi Anjuman-e-Tajraan (Ittehad group) at 10.00 a.m in front of Quaid-e-Azam Stadium on Tuesday.
“The grand rally by all segments of the civil society including the local business frternity will be hall mark of the day”, said the organization’s President Chaudhry Mahmood, while unveiling the capacious day-long programs by the local business fraternity to celebrate the national day.
Unveiling the salient features of the colorful programs of celebration of the independence day of Pakistan, Mahmood told media Monday that celebration of the Independence day of Pakistan this year too, as all previous years since the inception of the country will be the manifestation of the Kashmiris deep rooted love and affection with Pakistan since Pakistan runs through the blood of the people of Jammu Kashmir same as Kashmir runs through the blood of our Pakistan brethren, he vowed.
The Kashmiri business community elder said that Pakistan is incomplete without its jugular vein – Kashmir. He said that Kashmiris ongoing indigenous struggle for freedom of occupied Jammu Kashmir from Indian clutches was in fact the struggle for completion of Pakistan – since the people of Jammu Kashmir dwelling either side of the line of control and rest of the world consider Pakistan – their sole ultimate destination in all respect, he declared.
The Kashmiri business community elder vowed that scheduled August 14 Jashan-e-Azadi Pakistan by the people of Mirpur including the local business fraternity would not only mark the celebration of the founding anniversary of the motherland but would also mark the reiteration of complete solidarity, unity and integrity with the valiant armed forces of Pakistan, he added. Paying rich tributes to the brave armed forces of Pakistan, Mahmood said that people of Jammu & Kashmir are always prepared to make the defense of inch after inch of the motherland besides for the freedom of occupied Jammu Kashmir by shoulder to shoulder the valiant armed forces of the country – “since only our armed forces of Pakistan are the stronghold to safeguard the ideological and geographical frontiers of the country”, he concluded.
The national flag of Pakistan will also be hoisted on all private and public buildings. A great enthusiasm is being witnessed among the people including children found hectically busy in purchasing the national flags of Pakistan from the bazaars for hoisting atop their houses and vehicles on the national day. The private and official building are being beautifully decorated with the colorful buntings and national flag of Pakistan.
Participants of the colorful flag hoisting ceremonies will sing the national anthem simultaneously with the nation-wide programme for fluttering of the national flag at stipulated time when the traffic on all roads will also come to a halt and the nation will join singing the national anthem. Full dressed contingents of police and the boy scouts will salute the national flag of Pakistan in the flag hoisting ceremonies to be held at district and tehsil headquarters, local organizers of the scheduled Independence day of Pakistan ceremonies told this scribe.
In Mirpur district, the major national flag hoisting ceremony to mark the day will be held at the Municipal corporation hall where the national flag of Pakistan will be unfurled at the Corporation’s lawn at 8.45 p.m, according to Mirpur District Information Officer Javed Malik.
“A well uniformed continent of AJK Police and the boy scouts will present guard of honor besides saluting the national flag during the flag hoisting ceremony”, the Malik told this Correspondent here on Monday when contacted. The school children on this occasion will sing the national songs on musical instruments to express their fullest love and solidarity with Pakistan from the core of their heart.
National flags of Pakistan and AJK will also be hoisted atop all major buildings of private and public-sector organizations besides illumination of colorful lights to mark Jashan-e-Azadi Pakistan celebrations, he added.
Besides the AJK government, various social, political and public representative organizations are giving final shape to the arrangements for celebrating Jashan-e-Azadi – e – Pakistan in traditional zeal and fervor.
