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                        <title>The Express Tribune</title>
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			<title>Tree plantation drive kicks off in Karachi's DHA on Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2488187/tree-plantation-drive-kicks-off-in-dha-on-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2488187/tree-plantation-drive-kicks-off-in-dha-on-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 15 Aug 24 04:46:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Beena Khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=2488187</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Led by TV actor and environmentalist Tipu Sharif, local notables, residents, and children attend plantation drive.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistan celebrated its 77th Independence Day with enthusiasm across the nation, marked by fireworks and festivities. DHA Karachi joined the celebrations with a unique mission &ndash; to plant 10,000 trees in the area as part of an environmental initiative.

The event, held at Zulfiqar Avenue, was attended by local notables, residents, and children.

Renowned TV actor and environmentalist Tipu Sharif led the tree plantation drive, emphasizing the importance of planting trees for a sustainable future.



&quot;Planting trees is of utmost importance to us for our future,&quot; he stated, urging the community to follow suit.

Former cricketer Sikander Bakht also highlighted the urgent need for such initiatives, citing tree plantation as a crucial step in combating climate change.

Pakistan, ranked as the 5th most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change, faces significant environmental challenges. DHA Karachi&rsquo;s tree plantation initiative is seen as a proactive measure to address these concerns by promoting the growth of native trees in the area.]]>
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			<title>Celebrate the spirit of independence with PSO's impeccable campaign 'The Sounds of Freedom'</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2315421/celebrate-the-spirit-of-independence-with-psos-impeccable-campaign-the-sounds-of-freedom</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/2315421/celebrate-the-spirit-of-independence-with-psos-impeccable-campaign-the-sounds-of-freedom#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 13 Aug 21 09:41:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[The patriotic ad aims to imprint the message of acceptance and freedom in the hearts of every Pakistani]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[&nbsp;

74  years to independence. The day is celebrated across the nation to pay tribute to the zenith of Muslims&rsquo; epic struggle for a separate homeland. It&rsquo;s a day where Pakistanis come together to honour the struggles and sacrifices made by countless people, including our forefathers who stood firm to achieve independence for us. Once again, PSO, a progressive energy company, has come up with a stupendous campaign that spruces up patriotism in every Pakistani-regardless of their race, colour, religion, or gender.

The brand has always been at the forefront of keeping the wheels of the nation in motion, but this time them have taken their efforts up a notch by coming up with a much-needed initiative to promote diversity and inclusivity. They want every Pakistani to take a moment to envision Jinnah&rsquo;s Pakistan - a nation that is diverse, tolerant, and progressive.

The Sounds of Freedom campaign rolled out by the upbeat brand probes every Pakistani to renew their pledge of building a better homeland. The inspiring ad features several people singing the national anthem while celebrating the Independence Day in their own distinct manner. From including different genders to ethnicities, professions, religions, and other things that sometimes divide humanity, the ad takes us on a remarkable journey that teaches us an important message about individuality and inclusivity. You&rsquo;ll see ecstatic truck drivers and brave female bikers, transgenders and especially abled, farmers and labourers, and Sikhs and Muslims, each one humming to the catchy tunes of our prestigious national anthem and owning it.



https://www.facebook.com/PSOCL/videos/228522132501361




PSO has managed to imprint the message of acceptance and the freedom in the hearts of the nation with the underlying message that every voice you hear might have a story of its own; a story towards freedom. The ad tugs at our heartstrings and makes us feel the power of true freedom. It makes us realise the importance of moving forward in the spirit of being one, because regardless of how similar or how different we might be, at the end of the day we are all Pakistanis!

#PSOSoundsOfFreedom effortlessly captures the essence of diversity. The shot where the specially-abled girl uses sign language to croon along makes our heart melt! Interestingly, PSO not only empowers people to keep their differences aside, it also powers each diverse vehicle used in the ad.

Whether it&rsquo;s a motor bike or a scooty Vespa, a heavy bike, school van or car, jeep, tractor, or a Hilux, #PSO is committed to fuel the journey of the nation.]]>
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			<title>The commercialisation of independence</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/945499/the-commercialisation-of-independence</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/945499/the-commercialisation-of-independence#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 27 Aug 15 01:36:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Shafaq Naveed]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=945499</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Close to Independence Day, we saw azadi sales at most shops in urban centres around the country]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[‘Best Dad’ mugs for father’s day, lawn outfits for mother’s day, heart-shaped goodies for Valentine’s Day. Independence Day was no different. Every year, banking on the concept of freedom and independence, the clutches of consumerism seem to be holding us increasingly tighter.

Close to Independence Day, we saw azadi sales at most shops in urban centres around the country. And yes, much like every shopper, I was initially thrilled at the idea of a 14 per cent discount on the chic kurta that I had my eyes on since last month, but something about brands publicising their products using slogans along the lines of ‘This is freedom’ made me feel uncomfortable. Independence, love and freedom are not goods that can be displayed on designer storefronts.

Every day, we are made to believe that happiness is just a purchase away. Undoubtedly, any holiday season the world over brings with it discounts and product promotions, but with this fine-tuning of our minds, we run the risk of these things being the highlight of our day, and not the day itself, which in fact, should mean a lot more to us. While celebrating Independence Day this August 14, we should have reminded ourselves of the cost of this independence. To commemorate this important period in history — when our forefathers gave up all material gains, travelling penniless to a newly formed Pakistan — by making purchases, seemed inappropriate.

As massive billboards went up publicising these azadi sales, physically closest to these adverts were Pakistanis travelling on rooftops of buses. Yet for them, these products remained largely out of reach. Every Independence Day, radio stations blast patriotic songs. Whenever we sing along to “Main bhi Pakistan hoon, Tu bhi Pakistan hai” let us remember that Independence Day is also for the boy selling flags at the traffic signal, the salesperson standing behind the counter at stores in high-rise malls and for the domestic staff at our houses. Let’s be extra kind to our fellow Pakistanis and remember that independence signifies much more than the gleaming billboards falsely advertising what it means.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 27th, 2015.]]>
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			<title>Embassy in Havana: Pakistan mission celebrates Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/938906/embassy-in-havana-pakistan-mission-celebrates-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/938906/embassy-in-havana-pakistan-mission-celebrates-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Sun, 16 Aug 15 01:10:45 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Chocolates and sweets were gifted to the children of all staff members]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan’s Embassy in Havana, Cuba held a ceremony to celebrate the country’s Independence Day.


According to officials, the ceremony started with the raising of the national flag by the ambassador, who then read out President Mamnoon Hussain’s message to the nation. This was followed by the reading of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s message by the Head of Chancery Naeemullah Khan.
A quiz was then held for Pakistani children as a part of sensitising them to Pakistan’s history with questions asked by the ambassador and the head of chancery. A cake-cutting ceremony was conducted with the youngest member present, eight-year old Aleeza Aminah Akram, daughter of M Akram, cutting the cake. Chocolates and sweets were also gifted to the children of all staff members.


Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2015.]]>
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			<title>Award for excellence: Over 150 people to be conferred civil awards</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937842/award-for-excellence-over-150-people-to-be-conferred-civil-awards</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937842/award-for-excellence-over-150-people-to-be-conferred-civil-awards#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 15 03:11:09 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937842</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The investiture ceremony for these awards will take place on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2016]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[On the occasion of the 69th Independence Day, President Mamnoon Hussain has conferred 156 civil awards on citizens of Pakistan as well as foreign nationals for showing excellence and courage in their respective fields in addition to their service to the country.

The investiture ceremony for these awards will take place on Pakistan Day, March 23, 2016, said an official statement.




S. No.


Name of Awardee


Field




I. Nishan-e-Imtiaz




1

Mr. Parvez Butt (Punjab)
Engineering (Mechanical)



2

Dr. Ishrat Hussain (Sindh)
Public Service



3

Mr. Anwar Ali (Punjab)
Science (Physics)



II. Hilal-I-Imtiaz




4

Mr. Ejaz Ahmed Mukhtar (Punjab)
Science (Physics)



5

Ms. Zeba Ali (Punjab)
Arts (Film Production)







III. Sitara-I-Shuja'at (Posthumous)




6

Ch. Zulfiqar Ali Shaheed (Punjab)
Gallantry



IV.  Sitara-I-Shuja'at




7

Director Maj (R) Muhammad Aslam Pervez (Gilgit Baltistan)
Gallantry



8

Mr. Moeen Habib Khan (Punjab)
Gallantry



9

Mr. Tehseen Ullah Shah (K-P)
Gallantry



10

Mr. Sohail Akbar Khan (Punjab)
Gallantry



11

Syed Mohsin Raza (Punjab)
Gallantry



V. Sitara-I-Imtiaz




12

Prof. Carlo Alberto Pinelli (Italy)
Sports (Mountaineering)



13

Mr. Mohamed Jamaludin (Sri Lanka)
Services to Pakistan



14

Dr Muhammad Zafarullah Khan (Punjab)
Science (Electronics)



15

Mr. Khalid Iqbal Chishtee (Punjab)
Science (Nuclear Physics)



16

Prof. Dr. Talat Naseer Pasha (Punjab)
Science (Veterinary)



17

Dr. Qamar Mehboob (Punjab)
Engineering (Chemical)



18

Dr. Raja Ali Raza Anwer (Punjab)
Engineering (Nuclear)



&nbsp;




19

Dr. Nasrullah Khan (Sindh)
Engineering (Nuclear)



20

Dr. Numan Iqbal (Punjab)
Engineering (Technology)



21

Air Cdre. (R) Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmad (Punjab)
Engineering (Aerospace)



22

Mr. Muhammad Ajmal Javed (Punjab)
Engineering (Chemical)



23

Prof. Dr. Masood Hameed Khan



(Sindh)Health
24
Dr. AbdulAziz Othman Altwaijri

&nbsp;

(Saudi Arabia)Services to Pakistan
25
Mr. Ajmal Khan (K-P)

Education
26
Prof. Dr. S. Sohail H. Naqvi (Punjab)Education
27
Dr. Arshad Ali (Punjab)Education
28
Prof. Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed (Punjab)Education
29
Dr. Farhat Abbas (Sindh)Medicine
30
Dr. Faisal Saud Dar (Punjab)Health
31
Mr. Sahar Ansari (Anwar Maqbool) (Sindh)

Literature
32
Prof. Dr. Shahbaz Malik (Punjab)

Literature
33
Prof. Dr. Attash Durrani (Punjab)

Literature
34
Mr. Ijazul Hassan (Punjab)Literature
35
Mr. Masood Ashar (Punjab)Literature
36
Mrs. Ronak LakhaniSports (Athletics)
37
Mr. Soofian Zuberi (USA)Services to Pakistan
38
Mr. Babar Yaqoob Fateh Muhammad (Balochistan)Public Service
39
Mr. Jamil Ahmad (Punjab)Public Service
40
Prof. Khalida Tareen (Punjab)Public Service
41
Rana Ghulam Shabbir (Punjab)Public Service
42
Mr. Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema (Punjab)Public Service
43
Mr. Aziz Boolani (Sindh)Public Service
44
Mr. Abdul Jabbar Khan (Balochistan)Public Service
45
Mr. Shaharyar Sultan (Punjab)Public Service
46
Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah (Punjab)Social Work
VI. President's award for Pride of Performance
47
Dr. Maqsoodul Hasan Nasim (Punjab)Science (Plasma Physics)
48
Mr. Mujeebur Rahman (Sindh)

Science (Geology)
49
Dr. Mubarik Ahmed (Punjab)Science (Agriculture)
50.
Dr. Nazir Ahmad (Punjab)Science (Agriculture)
51
Dr. Alia Bano Munshi (Punjab)

Science
52
Brig. Syed Zulfiqar Ali (Punjab)

Engineering (Communication Networking)
53
Mr. Shahid Mehmood (Punjab)Engineering (Chemical)
54
Mr. Muhammad Basheer (K-P)Engineering (Metallurgy)
55
Mr. Abdul Rehman (Punjab)Engineering (Electronics)
56
Mr. Aslam Umer (Sindh)Engineering (Mechanical)
57
Mr. Tahir Ikram (Punjab)Engineering (Mechanical)
58
Mr. Muhammad Imran Afzal (Punjab)Engineering (Mechanical)
59
Dr. Shaheed Khan (Punjab)Engineering (Technology)
60
Dr. Muhammad Rehan (Islamabad)Engineering (Mechanical)
61
Dr. Iftikhar Haider Makhdoom (Punjab)Engineering
62
Dr. Naeem Zafar (Punjab)Engineering
63
Mr. Khawar Sultan (Punjab)
Engineering (Chemical)
64
Dr. Irfan Rafique (Punjab)Engineering (Electronics /Software)
65
Prof. Dr. Ehsan Akbar (Islamabad)Literature
66
Mr. Muhammad Yousuf Hussainabadi (Gilgit-Baltistan)Literature (History)
67
Mr. Ikram UllahLiterature
68
Prof. Ahmed Saeed (Punjab)Literature
69
Mr. Agha Nasir (Balochistan)Literature (Poetry)
70
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Zakriya Zakir University of the Punjab Lahore

&nbsp;

(AJ&amp;K)Education
71
Dr. Ayub Baluch (Balochistan)Literature (History)
72
Mr. Aamir Sohail
Literature (Poetry)
73
Mr. Wajahat Masood (Punjab)Journalism
74
Mr. Wasif Nagi (Punjab)Journalism
75
Mr. Munir Ahmad Munir (Punjab)Journalism
76
Mr. Talat HussainJournalism
77
Mr. Nisar Qadri (Punjab)Arts (Drama Acting)
78
Mr. Iftekhar Hussain (K-P)Arts (Drama Acting)
79
Mr. Ghulam Mohammad alias Gulab Chandio (Sindh)Arts (Drama Acting)
80
Mr. Masood Akhtar
Arts (Drama /Film Acting)
81
Mr. Khalid Butt
Arts (Drama /Film Acting)
82
Mr. Waseem Abbas
Arts (Drama /Film Acting)
83
Mr. Sachu Khan (Balochistan)Arts (Folk Music)
84
Mr. Sabz Ali (K-P)Music (Tabla Playing)
85
Ustad Nathoo Khan (late) (Sindh)Music (Sarangi Playing)
86
Mr. Ejaz Qaiser (Punjab)Music (Ghazal)
87
Mr. Mansoor Zaman (K-P)Sports (Squash)
88
Dr. Abdul Ghaffar (Punjab)Public Service
89
Mr. Najam Ahmed Shah (Sindh)Public Service
90
Capt. (R) Zahid Saeed (Punjab)Public Service
91
Mr. Noorudin Bhamani (Sindh)Public Service
92
Mr. Umar Draz Khan (Punjab)Public Service
VII. Tamgha-I-Shuja'at (Posthumous)
93
Mr. Abbas Ali Shaheed (Kurram Agency)Gallantry
94
Mr. Liaquat Ali Shaheed (Balochistan)Gallantry
95
Ms. Iffat Faqir Mohammad Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
96
Mr. Fazal Mahmood Zuberi Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
97
Mr. Tanvir Anwar Khan Shaheed (AJ&amp;K)Gallantry
98
Syed Muhammad Ilyas Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
99
Mr. Fakhrul Hassan Leghari Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
100
Sub Insp. Muhammad Sarwar Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
101
Asstt. Sub Insp. Asad Shah Nawaz Shaheed (Balochistan)

Gallantry
102
Sub Insp. Tariq Masood Shaheed (Punjab)

Gallantry
103
Sub Insp. Hafeezur Rehman Shaheed

&nbsp;

(KPK)
Gallantry
104
Sergeant Abdul Malik Shaheed (Sindh)Gallantry
105
Corporal Ghulam Murtaza Shaheed (AJ&amp;K)Gallantry
106
Corporal Muhammad Azam Hussain Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
107
Corporal Muhammad Hayyat Shaheed (Punjab)Gallantry
108
Sub Insp. Muhammad Jumman Abbasi Shaheed (Sindh)Gallantry
109
Sergeant Muntazir Shah Shaheed (K-P)Gallantry
110
Asstt. Sub Insp. Muhammad Iqbal

&nbsp;

Shaheed (Sindh)Gallantry
VIII. Tamgha-I-Shuja'at
111
Sergeant Naseer Ahmed (Punjab)Gallantry
112
Corporal Ali Akbar (Sindh)Gallantry
113
Sergeant Atta-ur-Rehman (K-P)Gallantry
114
Corporal Abid Hussain (Punjab)Gallantry
115
Corporal Ghulam Mustafa Shah (AJ&amp;K)Gallantry
116
Asst. Sub Insp. Ahmed Jamal Khan (Sindh)Gallantry
117
Inspector Muhammad Pervez (Punjab)Gallantry
118
Asst. Sub Insp. Faheem Mazhar (Punjab)Gallantry
119
Corporal Muhammad Afzal (PunjabGallantry
120
Sergeant Akhtar Hussain (Punjab)Gallantry
121
Mr. Ghulam Hussain (Sindh)Gallantry
122
Major (R) Attique Arshad (Punjab)Gallantry
123
Mr. Amir Mujahid Khan (Punjab)Gallantry
124
Raja Mustafa Ali (Sindh)Gallantry
125
Mr. Muhammad Ali (Sindh)Gallantry
126
Mr. Muhammad Shakeel (Sindh)Gallantry
127
Mr. Waqar Sultan (K-P)Gallantry
128
Mr. Muhammad Sajjad (Punjab)Gallantry
129
Mr. Sher Khan (Gilgit-Baltistan)Gallantry
130
Mr. Ghulam Sarwar (Gilgit Baltistan)Gallantry
131
Mr. Aasam Mukhtar Chaudhry (Punjab)Gallantry
132
Rai Azhar Hussain (Islamabad)Gallantry
IX. Tamgha-I-Imtiaz
133
Dato’ Haji Abdul Rafique bin Abdul Karim (Malaysia)
Services to Pakistan
134
Mr. Gerard Chauvel, (France)Services to Pakistan
135
Dr. Muhammad Sadiq (Punjab)
Science
136
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ali (Punjab)

Science
137
Dr. Safia Ahmed (Islamabad)Science (Biology)
138
Dr. Riffat Naseem Malik (Punjab)

Science
139
Dr. Abdul Rehman Tariq (Punjab)

Engineering
140
Col. Dr. Salman Majeed (Punjab)
Engineering
141
Mr. Asim Shahzad (Islamabad)Engineering (Mechanical)
142
Mr. Faizanul Hassan Farooqi (Sindh)Engineering (Aerospace)
143
Ms. Shahnaz Yasir (PunjabEngineering (Electrical)
144
Dr. Zafar Iqbal (K-P)Education
145
Mr. Munir Ahmed Bhullar (Sindh)Education (Scout Training)
146
Prof. Dr. Saeeda Asadullah Khan (Sindh)Education
147
Prof. Dr. Atiya Syed (Punjab)Literature
148
Syed Naveed Haider Hashmi (Balochistan)Literature
149
Mr. Najib Jamal

Literature
150
Mr. Javed Ahmed Soomro (Sindh)Journalism
151
Mr. Jamil Ather Qazi (Punjab)Journalism
152
Dr. Hk. Zahid Ashraf (Punjab)Medicine (Tibb-e-Unani)
153
Syed Moazzam Ali (Sindh)

Arts (Painting)
154
Mr. Mumtaz Ali Lashari (Sindh)

Music (Semi Classical Singing)
155
Mr. Qurban Ali Niazi (Islamabad)Music (Folk Singing)
156
Haji Daraz Khan (K-P)

Public Service

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Awards for PAF

Further, the President has conferred 44 non-operational military awards upon officers of Pakistan Air Force.

The awards include two Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Military), 16 Sitara-i-Imtiaz (Military), 15 Tamgha-i-Imtiaz (Military), two Sitara-i-Basalat and nine Tamgha-i-Basalat.

Following Pakistan Air Force officers’ names were announced for the respective non-operational military awards:

S No. Rank         Name 

Hilal-I-Imtiaz (Military)

1. Air Marshal    Muhammad Ashfaque Arain

2. Air Marshal    Asad Abdur Rehman Khan Lodhi

Sitara-I-Imtiaz (Military) 

1.   Air Vice Marshal       Salman Ahsan Bukhari

2.   Air Commodore        Asim Anwar

3.   Air Commodore        Shahid Latif Bajwa

4.   Air Commodore        Muhammad Zahoor Faisal

5.   Air Commodore        Muhammad Afzal

6.   Air Commodore        Ilyas Sultan

7.   Air Commodore        Tameez-Uddin Shakir Qazi

8.   Air Commodore        Syed Mohsin Ali Hussaini

9.   Air Commodore        Sarfraz Khan

10. Air Commodore        Muhammad Farooq Haider

11. Air Commodore         Nusrat Javed

12. Group Captain          Riaz Ahmed

13. Group Captain          Jamil Nazar

14. Group Captain          Adnan Masood Hassan

15. Group Captain          Mujeeb-Ur-Rehman

16. Group Captain          Muhammad Ali  

Tamgha-I-Imtiaz (Military)

1.  Group Captain          Syed Muhammad Ali

2.  Group Captain          Mahmood Faisal Zafar

3.  Group Captain          Ahmad Junaid

4.  Group Captain          Ali Khurram Aziz

5.  Group Captain          Syed Inam Ullah

6.  Group Captain          Ahmer Raza

7.  Group Captain          Shahid Waheed

8.  Wing Commander   Shaukat Mehmood

9.  Wing Commander   Faisal Fazal Muhammad Khan

10. Wing Commander   Talha Ayaz Khan

11. Wing Commander   Syed Masood Ahmed

12. Wing Commander   Syed Arsalan Ali

13. Wing Commander   Ali Asher

14. Wing Commander   Muhammad Shoaib

15. Wing Commander   Miratulain Azizi  

Sitara-I-Basalat

1.  Air Commodore        Shafqat Mushtaq (Late)

2.  Wing Commander   Aatir Mehboob

Tamgha-I-Basalat

1.  Wing Commander   Ahmad Adnan Awan

2.  Wing Commander   S Nisar Ahmad-Un-Nabi

3.  Squadron Leader     Abdul Ghaffar Buzdar

4.  Squadron Leader     Yasir Sarfraz

5.  Squadron Leader     Asim Habib

6.  Squadron Leader     Umar Rashid

7.  Squadron Leader     Tanveer Anwar

8.  Squadron Leader     Sohail Imran

9.  Flight Lieutenant     Shoaib Rasheed (Late)]]>
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			<title>Country marks 69th Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937809/country-marks-69th-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937809/country-marks-69th-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 14 Aug 15 01:27:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937809</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The day will begin with special prayers for the progress of the country]]>
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				<![CDATA[The country celebrates its 69th Independence Day on Friday (today) with national zeal and commitment to nation building as envisioned by the Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.


The day will begin with special prayers for the progress of the country and flag hoisting ceremonies in the federal and provincial capitals and scores of other government installations across Pakistan.

In their messages on the Independence Day, President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif urged the nation to work for the progress and prosperity of the country as envisaged by the Quaid-e-Azam. The president said that Pakistani nation is celebrating the 69th Independence Day with the conviction that this day will be a harbinger of political, economic and social stability.

PM Nawaz Sharif in his message said that Independence Day is being celebrated with the pledge to continue the struggle with unity and oneness for the objectives for which Pakistan was created.

Award for excellence

On the occasion of the 69th Independence Day, President Mamnoon Hussain has conferred 156 civil awards on citizens of Pakistan as well as foreign nationals for showing excellence and courage in their respective fields. The investiture ceremony will take place on Pakistan Day, 23rd March, 2016, said a statement.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2015. ]]>
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			<title>Celebrating freedom: ‘Preparations for Independence Day complete’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937767/celebrating-freedom-preparations-for-independence-day-complete</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937767/celebrating-freedom-preparations-for-independence-day-complete#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 15 23:40:36 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937767</guid>
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				<![CDATA[Various programmes have been organised by the district govt]]>
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				<![CDATA[Special prayers will be organised at major mosques of Faisalabad on Independence Day.

The district administration has organised various programmes for Independence Day celebrations. A flag-hoisting ceremony would be held at Commissioner’s Complex. A one-minute silence would be observed before the flag is raised by the commissioner.

A contingent of police and civil defence would march past the national flag and public school students would sing patriotic songs and distribute sweets among the participants.

The eight bazaars around Clock Tower Chowk and markets in other parts of the city have been decorated with colourful buntings and national flags.

A paintings exhibition depicting the struggle for Pakistan would also be inaugurated at Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Gallery on Friday. It would be followed by a mehfil-i-mushaira. A song contest has also been arranged by the Arts Council at Al-Khayyam Banquet Hall near Iqbal Stadium.

Declamation contests among students have also been arranged by the Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF) and University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF).

The traffic police have finalised a traffic management plan for Independence Day, CTO Muhammad Masoom said.

He said teams had been formed to check one-wheeling and underage drivers.

He said special traffic squads would patrol on Thursday and Friday.

He said pickets had been set up at Jhang Road, Canal Road, Jaranwala Road and Samundri Road. 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2015.]]>
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			<title>A glass half-full</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937682/a-glass-half-full</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937682/a-glass-half-full#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 15 22:30:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937682</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[It is all too easy to point out Pakistan’s failures. But perceptions both within &amp;amp; outside the country need to...]]>
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				<![CDATA[As recently as three years ago, Pakistan was being talked of in some quarters as ‘a failed state’. It isn’t and in reality has never come close to state failure in the way that some countries post-Arab Spring have. The Taliban, although they posed an extremely serious threat, were never knocking on the doors of parliament, the currency never collapsed and the economy manages to keep the national head above water mainly because of the buoyancy provided by the informal sector. Not ideal, but neither wholly dysfunctional either. The population at large has not been terrorised into a gibbering heap. Violent crimes by terrorists have reduced significantly in the last year. Karachi is a safer place to live and work. Some of the methodologies used to achieve that result may be questionable, but safer is safer, however achieved. In purely geographic terms, most of the country can be termed peaceful, with an improving and expanding arterial infrastructure that bodes well for future economic development — and the Chinese do not bet on lame horses to win.



At 68 years, as a nation, Pakistan is barely out of its infancy and despite having a considerable image problem globally, is in better shape than the naysayers would have us believe. Looking around the horizon, there are surprises. The information technology (IT) sector is small compared to India’s $100 billion worth of software exports every year. Our share of global IT sales is about $2.8 billion a year, but as referenced in an article in The New York Times, Pakistan is making its mark as a place to go for freelance IT programmers, software coders and app designers. This news makes no headlines here, but there are now 1,500 registered IT companies and 10,000 graduates with an IT degree every year.

Even the conservative-leaning Forbes bi-weekly business magazine and The Economist are suggesting that with the improving security situation, Pakistan has the potential to be a turnaround success story — and that despite the terrorism that still stalks us, an energy sector that struggles to put volts down the wires on a daily basis, a string of natural disasters in the last five years and the political uncertainty generated by the dharna crisis in 2014. Admittedly, one would not want to put too much store on what a few Western publications state, given the enormous problems the economy still faces and the government’s weak efforts in the very vital area of taxation reforms that indicates its lack of political will to do the right thing. However, these assertions still remind us that the country does have the potential to enjoy a huge economic windfall if the right policies are instituted and implemented.

The prognostications of economic wizards aside, the lives of millions remain a grim daily struggle to make ends meet. We have yet to eradicate polio. Health services for those who cannot afford private healthcare remain abysmally poor. Poverty is countrywide and endemic, but just how many of us are poor is something neither this nor any other government is keen to put a number to. Corruption is as commonplace as poverty. Out of a population of around 190 million, a paltry 0.9 million are tax assessees. Extremism and militancy are still major problems and could still undo all the good that has been achieved if there is any leeway allowed to those who thrive on these.

It is all too easy to point out Pakistan’s failures. But perceptions both within and outside the country need to change, because there are fundamental shifts going on deep inside. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has, even before much of it is in tangible form, incentivised the government to tackle the beast of terrorism and to look wider than the Arab world for economic partnerships. Our foreign policy is evolving on fast-forward and there needs to be a rethink among our policymakers regarding how we view our neighbours. What we need to remember is that the Taliban are not at the door, the state is not failing and Pakistan today is a glass half-full — and looking set to fill the other half.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th,  2015.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Extraordinary reasons to celebrate Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937578/extraordinary-reasons-to-celebrate-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937578/extraordinary-reasons-to-celebrate-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 15 21:48:33 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[m.bilal.lakhani]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937578</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Now, we need to actively construct a narrative which electrifies the country. Watch out world, Pakistan still has game]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Is Pakistan finally rising from its 68-year hibernation? I’m hopelessly optimistic about Pakistan this August 14. But for the first time in my life, this feeling isn’t just based on emotionally charged, blind patriotism. There are three very specific reasons why I’m beaming with pride for my country this year:

Birth pangs of a Naya Karachi

Something remarkable is happening in Karachi. This Eid, whether I spoke to a rickshaw driver or a corporate executive, both told me the same thing: ‘Karachi kay halaat bauhat behtar ho gaye hain.’ Murder, kidnapping and car-jacking are palpably down according to most observers. Those of us waiting for a single Tahrir Square-style catharsis moment, which marks the overthrow of the old order in Karachi, are unlikely to find one. But record levels of Eid shopping, spending and a certain level of carefree joy are visible markers of change in the air. This is a once-in-a lifetime moment for us to rise above our fear and indifference by celebrating the visible improvement in the security situation across the city and the country. If we raise our collective voices today, we can make some of these security gains irreversible. While violence will, unfortunately, remain a part of everyday life, for example, with the persistence of street crime in Karachi, it’s still important to pause and appreciate the dramatic improvement in the overall security situation. Who would have thought peace would slowly return to Pakistan and that Karachi would lead the way?

The good news tsunami  

China is investing over $40 billion in Pakistan. Iran’s breakthrough in talks with the international community could lead to a sanction-free trading partner and cheaper energy (especially gas) supplies for Pakistan. Moreover, persistently low oil prices may unleash a significant boom in Pakistan’s traditionally strong informal economy. Pakistan’s playing a positive role in the Afghan reconciliation process, and terror attacks in Pakistan, while always an ever-present danger, are showing a sharp downward trend.

Meanwhile, democracy in the country has also been strengthened as the Pakistani people and institutions have proved, after the judicial commission report on electoral rigging, that they are smarter than the usual toolbox of tricks played on them to pull a bait and switch. But abhi tau party shuru hui hai. Where the Tsunami has failed to create a Naya Pakistani state, it has succeeded in creating a Naya Pakistani society, by awakening the political consciousness of a previously indifferent generation. This generation is now coming back to bite the hands that fed it by demanding a higher standard of accountability from the Tsunami’s leaders. This is good for Pakistan. The expectations on the Tsunami are morphing from bringing about a revolution (which can be easily reversed as it was in Egypt) to bringing about real, incremental improvements; the Tsunami can play to its strengths here and actually beat expectations in a good way. After all, governance, much like cricket, isn’t just about the flashy shots knocking the ball out of the park. It’s also about taking the singles and doubles to build a solid innings i.e., the work of improving everyday governance. If the Tsunami learns the right lessons, its darkest hour today will be judged as its finest hour by history.

Extraordinary Pakistanis

Pakistan’s core strength has always been Pakistanis who have done remarkable things despite the extraordinary pressure on them. To hold these folks up as role models, I and a friend tried to document as many extraordinary Pakistanis as we could over the last 12 months. We ran into Zafar Ali, a young man from Fata, the son of a truck driver, who moved to Karachi to study at a school run by The Citizens Foundation (another extraordinary Pakistani story) and is today studying at a UWC campus, despite initially being labelled a terrorist, wrongly, by the authorities. “If all the bad guys can come together to hurt Pakistan, why can’t the good guys come together to help Pakistan?” argued Saad Latif, the first person we interviewed for this series. It’s time we connect the dots for the good guys.

The purpose of this article isn’t to gloss over the real problems that make life in Pakistan miserable. Instead, the idea is to show that there’s another side to Pakistan’s story that we’re all writing together. Pakistan’s psyche is a lot like our cricket team’s batting order. When one wicket falls, all of us collapse like a pack of cards. But when one top order batsman clicks, the team delivers an out-of-body experience, which electrifies the country. This article — and the Extraordinary Pakistanis series — highlights that some of our batsmen are beginning to click again. Now, we need to actively construct a narrative which electrifies the country. Watch out world, Pakistan still has game.

Happy Independence Day to all of us. Pakistan Zindabad! 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th,  2015.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Google, Facebook join Pakistanis in celebrating Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937915/google-facebook-join-pakistanis-in-celebrating-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937915/google-facebook-join-pakistanis-in-celebrating-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 15 21:26:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937915</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Google puts up a doodle while Facebook allows you to set your mood to 'celebrating Independence Day']]>
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				<![CDATA[As Pakistan geared up to celebrate its 69th Independence Day, flags adorning every balcony and window, lights decorating buildings and hues of green flooding the streets, Google and Facebook joined in on the celebrations introducing their own ways to mark the day.

As the clock struck twelve on Friday, Google changed its Doodle to tall lettering with the second 'O' replaced by an archway view of the Lahore fort with the Pakistan flag flying high.



On the other hand, Facebook presented an innovative way for users mark independence, allowing them to update their status with a mood setting of “celebrating Independence Day” and sharing it with their friends and family on the social network.]]>
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			<title>Security forces foil Independence Day terror plot</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937080/security-forces-foil-independence-day-terror-plot</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/937080/security-forces-foil-independence-day-terror-plot#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 15 00:43:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=937080</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The military’s media wing said the operation was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[The military on Wednesday said it has busted a ‘foreign-sponsored’ gang which was planning to sabotage Independence Day celebrations in Karachi.


“Some high-value targets, including Bakhat Zaman, the naib amir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’s (TTP) Swat chapter, have been apprehended,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement.

The military’s media wing said the operation was carried out on the basis of credible intelligence which suggested that the gang was planning a major attack in Karachi on August 14. It added that the gang had been planning the attack for some time and had already prepared an explosives-laden vehicle and motorcycle which they intended to use on Independence Day.

“During interrogation, the apprehended terrorists confessed that the vehicles were arranged from Karachi and that they were now waiting for suicide bombers to arrive from Afghanistan. They revealed that the amir of TTP Swat in Karachi had gone to Afghanistan for this purpose,” the ISPR said.

After receiving the tip-off, security agencies observed the gang for weeks before launching simultaneous operations against its members in Karachi and Hyderabad on August 9.

“The explosives-laden hi-roof and motorcycle were also recovered [in the operation],” the statement said. It added that interrogation of suspects is expected to uncover even more startling revelations.

Pakistan’s claims that the failed terror plot has been traced to Afghanistan came amid recent allegations by the Afghan leadership that Islamabad is doing little to stop attacks in the war-torn country.

A high-level Afghan delegation is expected to travel to Islamabad on Thursday reportedly to demand action against the Afghan Taliban allegedly on Pakistan’s soil. Islamabad is also likely to raise the issue of ‘terror sanctuaries’ on Afghan soil from where the TTP and its affiliates are launching attacks against Pakistan.

Army chief visits N Waziristan

Amid the Afghan outburst, army chief General Raheel Sharif on Thursday visited front lines in North Waziristan Agency to review progress in the ongoing operations.

According to the ISPR, the army chief showed satisfaction over the gains of the operations so far and appreciated the “highest state of morale manifested while fighting terrorists in the most rugged terrain.”

Speaking to the troops, General Raheel said Operation Zarb-e-Azb was in its final stages in North Waziristan and that the remaining terrorists who had been squeezed into small pockets would be cleared shortly.

He also oversaw future operations, including the one in Shawal, and directed commanders to ensure that these terrorists must remain cut off from their friends and outside support.

“These enemies of the state and their financiers will not find any place in the country and will ultimately meet their justified end,” the army chief said. He added that the successes of Operation Zarb-e-Azb and sacrifices of “our officers and men have been acknowledged by the entire nation.”

Published in The Express Tribune, August 13th, 2015.]]>
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			<title>Ziarat Residency restored: Negative politics should end says PM</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/749008/ziarat-residency-restored-negative-politics-should-end-says-pm</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/749008/ziarat-residency-restored-negative-politics-should-end-says-pm#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 14 01:22:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Balochistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=749008</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Nawaz says protest marches diverting attention away from national issues.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appealed on Thursday for an end to ‘negative, combative politics’ in the country, advising the parties staging parallel marches to work for national development instead.


“The country cannot afford any more subversion and negative politics. Let us work for the country’s development. If we do not win the next elections, we would at least inherit a developed country,” the prime minister said after inaugurating the rehabilitated building of the Quaid-i-Azam Residency in Ziarat.

The Residency was damaged in a terrorist attack on June 15, last year and the government rehabilitated the national heritage to its original shape. The project was executed by prominent architect Nayyar Ali Dada at a cost of around Rs140 million and it was completed in a record time of five months.



The prime minister hoisted the national flag and unveiled the plaque to inaugurate the building where the Father of the Nation Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had spent last couple of months of his life. The ceremony was attended by Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif, Balochistan Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch, Governor Muhammad Khan Achakzai, Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Naseer Hussain Janjua and senior bureaucrats.

The prime minister said it was the true Azadi march that both civil and military leadership were celebrating Independence Day here together and prayed that it should continue in the years to come. He stressed the need for ‘positive and constructive politics’ to strengthen democracy in Pakistan.

Referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Awami Tehreek, the premier said protest marches were diverting attention away from national issues, such as Operation Zarb-e-Azb.

“Those who are leading these marches should focus on the establishment of peace and development of the country,” he said.

He said the ruling PML-N has accepted the mandate of other parties in their respective provinces like in Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. “The federal government is making its utmost efforts to maintain peace in Karachi. The city used to witness targeted killings and lawlessness on a daily basis. Now, one can tell the improvement in the security situation in Karachi,” he said. “The PML-N wants to see a peaceful Karachi and Sindh.”

Nawaz said the government wished to have a good relationship with every political party.



“We have never discriminated against anyone. Balochistan is a good example where nationalists were allowed to rule and the federal government is cooperating with them,” he said.

He said the country could attain heights of progress and prosperity if it got a decade of peace without any interruption. All the disparities in the society could be removed, with the people getting full attention from the government during peaceful 10 years, he added. “But this requires devotion and hard work.”

Referring to the rehabilitation of the Quaid-i-Azam Residency, he appreciated the government and those who had worked hard to restore it in months. “The hard work and passion show the love and patriotism of Balochistan,” he added. “The restoration of the Residency in a few months is a classic example for us. We will make Pakistan a developed and prosperous country, if we work the way people did on the Residency.”

He promised to develop Balochistan at par with other regions of the country. “We make the Baloch people believe that they have equal stake in this country and they have to equally contribute to improving the situation,” he said. He reiterated that Gwadar would be the best port city in the region after a few years which, in turn, would strengthen Pakistan’s economy.

He reiterated that economic corridors from Khunjrab to Gwadar would prove a game changer for the area. He said the resolution of energy crisis was the government’s priority and projects of 10,400 megawatt capacity would be completed by the end of 2017.

The premier lauded the role of the civil and military leadership for restoring peace in the region. “Everyone can feel that the security situation has improved,” he said, “Pakistan needs 10 more years of peace and stability to attain the goals set of better economy and improved infrastructure.”

In his speech, Chief Minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch assured that the coalition government would always stand by the democratic government. “We will not let the conspirators succeed,” he added.

He claimed a steep decline in cases of kidnapping for ransom, targeted killings and sectarian violence in Balochistan. “Quetta used to be closed and plunged into darkness after sunset – but now people walk on the streets until 3am,” he said. A few years ago, Balochistan was infamous for corruption, he said. “There is a visible improvement and the menace of corruption is being eradicated while money is being spent on education and health sectors,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>In solidarity: Independence day celebrated in AJK</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748823/in-solidarity-independence-day-celebrated-in-ajk</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748823/in-solidarity-independence-day-celebrated-in-ajk#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 14 01:05:35 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Jammu &amp; Kashmir]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748823</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[President Sardar Yaqoob criticises Imran, Qadri for destabilising country.]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) were not far behind their counterparts in the rest of the country in celebrating the country’s Independence Day.


The main flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the President’s Secretariat where President Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan hoisted the national flag with the AJK police presenting him with a guard of honour.

While talking to the media, the president lashed out at both Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri, accusing them of destabilising the country. He said nobody would be the beneficiary of the long marches except the country’s foes. “Both of them (Qadri and Imran) should join hands to save Pakistan as marches and demonstrations are not the solution to any problem,” he said.

In another event arranged by the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed, Minister Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs Saleem Butt and leaders of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (local chapter) were also present to show their solidarity with Pakistan.

At the occasion, schoolchildren sang various national songs and presented tableaus to highlight sacrifices made by the workers of the Pakistan Movement.

Later, the ministry’s employees marched on the various roads of Muzaffarabad while holding a 210 foot national flag.

Moreover, flag-hoisting ceremonies were also held at all district headquarters of AJK where deputy commissioners and commissioners hoisted national flags.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Talking partition: Flag-hoistings, colourful events mark independence day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748771/talking-partition-flag-hoistings-colourful-events-mark-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748771/talking-partition-flag-hoistings-colourful-events-mark-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 14 00:54:20 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748771</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[PML-N leaders, govt officials hoist flags, make speeches.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Gripped with patriotic fervour and official obligations, various organisations celebrated the Independence Day in the twin cities by hoisting flags and holding various events.In Rawalpindi, the main Independence Day flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the commissioner’s office.


Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leaders Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Sardar Nasim, Raja Hanif and Malik Iftikhar, among relevant government officials and citizens attended the ceremony. Pakistan movement worker Shamsul Haq Awan was the chief guest on the occasion.

Commissioner Zahid Saeed, along with Awan, Abbasi, Nasim, Malik Iftikhar and Hanif hoisted the national flag and participants sang the national anthem together. National songs were also performed by students of Rawalpindi’s schools.

Awan, who was a school student at the time of partition, narrated his memories during the migration towards the Pakistan from Hoshyarpur in India. He said all nations progressed and attained prosperity after passing through difficulties and hardships and Pakistan would also become a developed country soon.

Awan added that while celebrating Independence Day, everyone should pledge and affirm for laying all kind of sacrifices for the protection of our independence, prosperity and development of our country.

In the end, the special guests also cut an Independence Day cake.

At a separate event at the Post Graduate College, Asghar Mall, MPA Raja Hanif said the young generation should be made aware about the ideology of Pakistan and efforts and sacrifices of our elders. Other party leaders and college staff were present on the occasion.

Hanif said the country, while celebrating its 68th Independence Day, is fighting against terrorism and its armed forces are engaged in rooting out the menace through a military operation.

Director colleges Prof Humayun Iqbal, while addressing the event, informed that various functions in connection with Independence Day celebrations are being held in educational institutions to make the young generation aware of the Pakistan Movement.

He said the value and significance of independence can only be gauged from nations who are still enslaved and without any homeland. Hanif, PML-N leader Sardar Nasim, Iqbal, and college principal Prof Ghazanfar Mehmud Bhatti also hoisted the Pakistani flag at the occasion.

H-8 college celebrates

A flag-hoisting ceremony was also held at the Islamabad Model Postgraduate College, H-8 on Thursday morning. Principal Prof Khurshid Ahmed Shakoori, along with teaching and non-teaching staff, inaugurated the ceremony.

After flag-hoisting ceremony, a function was also held at the college auditorium. In his address, the principal presented a background of the foundation of Pakistan and stressed the importance of celebrating the Independence Day to highlight the history of Pakistan for the knowledge of the youngsters.

Festive atmosphere at BBIA

The management of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) at Benazir Bhutto International Airport (BBIA) decorated the airport with flags, buntings and balloons while the terminal building was illuminated as well. Documentary films were also being played on TV screens that promote Pakistani culture and tourism.

The national flag was hoisted in front of the state lounge by CAA Airport Manager Mohammed Ayaz Jadoon. An ‘independence walk’ was also held by Gerry’s Dnata and employees of CAA and other airlines and ground handling agencies participated in it.

NHMP officers salute the flag

A flag-raising ceremony was also held at the headquarters of the National Highways and Motorways Police (NHMP) on Independence Day. NHMP Inspector General Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema hoisted the national flag to start the ceremony which was attended by senior police officers. “Independence of our beloved country is the result of endless sacrifices. Don’t hesitate to make any sacrifice for the sake of endurance and excellence of the country,” said Cheema in his address. The IG said that the motorways police would organise rallies to commemorate the day across the country.

PAF officers pray for Pakistan’s prosperity

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) joined hands with the nation to celebrate Independence Day with a flag-hoisting ceremony at Air Headquarters, Islamabad. Air Vice Marshal Junaid Ahmed Siddiqui hoisted the national flag and read out Air Chief Marshal Tahir Rafique Butt’s message. “While drawing perpetual guidance from Quaid’s vision, PAF has made earnest efforts to modernise its fleet to meet the ever-demanding challenges of the 21st Century,” he said in his statement. Similar ceremonies were also held at all PAF air commands, air bases and other establishments.

Colourful show at AIOU

A spectacular show was held at the Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU) on Thursday to mark the Independence Day which was attended by the university’s employees and their children.

They presented national songs, delivered speeches and performed tableaus at the event.

The day’s activities began by hoisting of the national flag at AIOU’s main campus by vice-chancellor Prof Ali Asghar Chishti and other senior staff members. Similar functions were held at the university’s other campuses around the country.

The show at the main campus was arranged by the university’s Pakistan Studies department, headed by Dr Amanaullah Memon and Dr Badshah Sardar.

Moreover, flag-hoisting ceremonies were also held at the Pakistan Broadcasting House, Islamabad as well as the Higher Education Commission.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Deserted city: Barricades, containers put damper on August 14 fervour</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748787/deserted-city-barricades-containers-put-damper-on-august-14-fervour</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748787/deserted-city-barricades-containers-put-damper-on-august-14-fervour#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 14 00:53:06 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[maha.mussadaq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Dampened enthusiasm affects hawkers, vendors.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Even though Independence Day was overshadowed by political activities in the country and the long march duo en route from Lahore, street vendors were still hopeful of completely selling their bag-full of buttons, pins and small flags.


Flashing a salute with a convincing smile, Mohammad Aslam was busy selling Pakistani flags at a traffic signal near a busy market in the capital on Wednesday.

A day before the 68th Independence Day, Aslam only had 24 hours to sell his merchandise. He rushed to cars that stopped at the traffic signal, requesting motorists to purchase flags and pins.

Travelling from his home in Zia Masjid to Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi, Aslam bought a dozen flags for Rs300, which he now sells for Rs50 each. It takes him two hours to come to the capital everyday.

“I have been successful in selling some flags. But I have to make sure I sell them on time,” he said.

Years ago, the capital would look very different just before Independence Day --- decorated with fairy lights, buntings, streamers and flags. The public display of patriotism this time around was comparatively thin.

As the capital has been sealed at a number of points with containers and barricades, residents have been discouraged to come out to celebrate Independence Day.

Festivities seem to be restricted to the invite-only parade organised by the Pakistan Army that took place on midnight at Parliament House.

The imposition of Section 144 and a high alert also discouraged residents and the independence enthusiasm seemed to have fizzled out.

Shaukat Ali, who belongs from Gujranwala, displayed items such as streamers, flags of various sizes, stickers and hats at a stall set up at one of the markets in the capital.

Buying fewer items for a high price in Lahore, Ali had been in the capital since the beginning of this month.

A regular stallholder in the capital for the past eight years, he is discouraged with the response this year and believes the decreasing demand might encourage him to look into another business. “I worry about breaking even,” said Ali, adding that “The response has been really low this year as compared to previous years.”

“How are we going to celebrate August 14, when we are trapped at home,” said Sehrish Kausar a resident of the capital. “Independence Day celebrations are a part of our culture. Many young boys and girls used to go out. The security situation will not allow us to do anything this year” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Independence day treat: Country’s tallest flag hoisted in Islamabad</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748930/independence-day-treat-countrys-tallest-flag-hoisted-in-islamabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748930/independence-day-treat-countrys-tallest-flag-hoisted-in-islamabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 14 00:44:17 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sehrish.wasif]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[The 215-foot flag was inspired by the National Flag Theme Park in India.]]>
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				<![CDATA[The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has installed the country’s tallest flag at the Flag Monument Park along Islamabad Highway near Zero Point.


The 40-foot high and 60-foot wide flag was hoisted on a 215-foot and 30-ton heavy pole on the country’s 68th Independence Day on Thursday. CDA Member Environment Mustafain Kazmi said it took the authority 40 to 50 days to prepare the flag.



The CDA Engineering Wing was initially given the task, but responsibility was later handed over to the Environment Wing because of time constraints.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reportedly conceived this idea during his recent visit to India, inspired by the National Flag Theme Park in New Delhi.

Kazmi said that the Flag Monument Park will be established on 5.5 acres at a cost of Rs20 million. Work on the project will commence soon, he added.

Heavy Mechanical Complex, Taxila manufactured the flagpole.

Earlier, CDA Member Administration Amir Ali Ahmad had told The Express Tribune that the civic authority will require high quality materials to prepare a 60-foot wide and 40-feet high flag to ensure it is not damaged during severe weather conditions.

He said the flag would be mechanically hoisted and lowered, while adding that the rest of the project would be carried out after the flag was installed.

The park will have walkthrough galleries, gazebos, children’s play area, light poles, walking tracks and water channels.

It would be the second facility of its kind in the city after the Rs700 million Pakistan Monument near Shakarparian, which was developed in 2006 on the directions of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Exuberance: Sindh marks Independence Day with fervour</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748909/exuberance-sindh-marks-independence-day-with-fervour</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748909/exuberance-sindh-marks-independence-day-with-fervour#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Fri, 15 Aug 14 00:03:51 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[sarfaraz.memon]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
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				<![CDATA[Commodore Navaid Ashraf laid a floral wreath on the grave and was there for the change of guard.]]>
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				<![CDATA[As Pakistan turned 67 on Thursday, Sindh saw renewed pledges, along with exuberant celebrations, for all-out efforts to make the country prosperous and strong.

Karachi

In the city the father of the nation was born, a flag hoisting ceremony took place at Quaid-e-Azam’s mausoleum with the Governor of Sindh Dr Ishratul Ebad present as chief guest. The governor was accompanied by the chief minister of Sindh, Qaim Ali Shah, and members of his cabinet. They offered prayers and laid floral wreaths on Jinnah’s grave. Students from several schools in the city also visited the Quaid’s mausoleum and recited the national anthem with the military band.


Cadets from the Pakistan Naval Academy assumed their responsibility to guard the mausoleum. Commodore Navaid Ashraf laid a floral wreath on the grave and was there for the change of guard. As per tradition cadets of the academy take their duties to guard the mausoleum every year on August 14.

A flag hoisting ceremony was also held at the Sindh Madressatul Islam University, the Quaid’s alma mater.

Upper Sindh

The major event in upper Sindh was held at the Jinnah Municipal Stadium, Sukkur, where commissioner Muhammad Abbas Baloch hoisted the national flag. Deputy commissioner Shahzad Tahir Tahheem, lawmakers Dewan Chand Chawla and Saleem Bandhani, DIG Javed Alam Odho and others were present. A large number of schoolchildren and scouts attended the ceremony.

Similar ceremonies were held in IBA Sukkur, Sukkur Electric Power Company head office, and different public and private schools. Children sporting colourful attire performed various tableaus and skits and sung national songs. Sweets were later distributed among them.

Other cities and towns of upper Sindh comprising Ghotki, Jacobabad, Shikarpur, Kashmore, Khairpur, Naushahro Feroze, Larkana, Kamber-Shahdadkot and Dadu also saw patriotic celebrations.

Many young boys rode on motorcycles without silencers carrying national flags around the cities. Others resorted to playing national songs in blasting volume to express their love for the country.

A large number of people from the outskirts of Sukkur thronged the city, visiting public spots such as the Lab-e-Mehran Park, the Mir Masoom Shah Minaret, the Muhammad Bin Qasim Park, the Navy Park and others.

Lower Sindh

Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Bhanbore and Nawabshah divisions, had their own share of official celebrations on Thursday.

Government functionaries hoisted national flags, political and social groups held rallies and cut cakes and young citizens jubilated via aerial firing.

Hyderabad commissioner Jamal Mustafa Syed hoisted the national flag at a ceremony held at the former Zila Nazim secretariat. The local notables and officials from various government departments attended the event. Dozens of rallies were organised all over the Hyderabad district by political and religious groups alongside youth to mark the day. The Sunni Tehreek cut a 68-pound cake at Hyder Chowk before commencing with their rally.

In Mirpurkhas, the divisional commissioner Sajid Jamal Abro hoisted the national flag at his office to commence the celebrations. Local political groups held rallies in all the tehsils of the district.

The Sindh University, Mehran University of Engineering and Technology and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences in the Jamshoro district also marked the day by holding celebratory events.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.]]>
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			<title>The jail visit: Celebrating freedom with those deprived of it</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748915/the-jail-visit-celebrating-freedom-with-those-deprived-of-it</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748915/the-jail-visit-celebrating-freedom-with-those-deprived-of-it#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 23:53:39 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[photo.athar.khan]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Prison officials organise football match for inmates to commemorate Independence Day.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Inside the jail, all that separates the prisoners from the ‘free ones’ are the Central Prison Karachi initials stamped on your wrist; literally, your ticket to freedom.


There are no visitors on Independence Day, just like all other public holidays, and the few that were there to cover the August 14 celebrations waited inside the office of Jail Superintendent Kazi Nazir Ahmed, who was on vacation.

Behind his leather armchair were two wooden plaques that bore the name of all the heads that the prison has had. ‘Mr D Oldman’ was the first name - appointed in 1899 - and a list of around 70 other officials followed, spanning over a period of more than a century.

Inside the jail, there is no way to communicate with the outside world; cellphones are taken at the entrance and the officials use walkie-talkie. The equipment is essential to control the overcrowded prison. “There are more than 5,500 prisoners here, but the capacity is only 2,100 prisoners,” said jail official Shakir Shah. “The initial capacity of the prison was 500 but back then the city only had a population of 100,000. The jail grew with the city, but now it is overcrowded.”

The superintendent’s office is a five-minute walk away from the hospital ward, where the football match was to be played. There is absolute silence along the way, save for the crows and the sound of the officials’ whistle. The whistle, they explained, is a signal for the inmates to move to a side and clear the path for people to walk by. The prisoners obeyed, like clockwork, moving out of the way almost as one; standing at the side, at attention.

At the Hospital Ward football ground, the sun scorched the uneven mud field and the players, who cared little as most of them looked in top shape. “We play every day from four to six,” they were to later reveal. The team dressed in white were of the B-Class - the prisoners that were previously taxpayers and often include professionals and graduates - while the ‘Aam Admi’, from C-Class - those from less privileged backgrounds - wore black.

A man with a mic sung the national anthem in an off-key manner. The inmates that had gathered to spectate sung along, the players stood in the middle of the field with their right hands over their hearts.

The whistle sounded a little while later; this time to indicate the start of the match. The match was played in good spirit, with smiles all over. For a minute they became so engrossed in the football that the players and the spectators alike forgot where they were - the match was all that mattered - and when the referee blew to signal for penalties at the end of the stalemate, the entire ground burst into applause. Penalties were a similarly close affair but B-Class won 2-1, with Muhammad Rashid - an aeronautical engineer who was working in Dubai just a couple of months ago - scoring the winning penalty.

“I came to Karachi on vacation and was implicated in a murder case because of an incident at my house,” said Rashid in flawless English after the match. “Today is just my 29th day here and I was working for [an international airline] as an aeronautical engineer before I was falsely implicated.” The kits for the match were provided by the authorities, revealed the captain of the losing side, Sher Hussain. “Those of us who had their own shoes wore those. Others who could not afford them were sponsored by those who could,” he said, pointing to his own shoes, one of which was red, the other black.

The players and the spectators then slowly made their way back to their barracks. However, Independence Day celebrations were not yet over, as they still had the musical event at night to look forward to.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.]]>
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			<title>Get your patriotism on: National flag hoisted at various universities</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748948/get-your-patriotism-on-national-flag-hoisted-at-various-universities</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748948/get-your-patriotism-on-national-flag-hoisted-at-various-universities#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 22:49:07 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondents]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748948</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Students dressed in green and white chant Pakistan Zindabad.]]>
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				<![CDATA[“Every citizen must perform his or her duty with devotion and dedication...this is the only way our country can achieve respectability among the comity of nations,” the University of Health Sciences vice chancellor said at the flag hoisting ceremony at the UHS campus on Thursday.


Vice Chancellor Major Gen (r) Muhammad Aslam said there was a need to revive the true spirit of the Pakistan movement which was the foundation stone of the country. Staff members and UHS students were present at the flag hoisting ceremony on the campus.

Post Graduate Medical Institute Principal Anjum Habib Vohra presided over the flag hoisting ceremony at the institute. Participants chanted “Pakistan Zindabad” at the flag hoisting ceremony. Many of the nurses were dressed in the colours of the national flag and appeared enthusiastic about celebrating the Independence Day.



Professor Vohra said the youth was celebrating the day with the aim to bring about true change in Pakistan in accordance with the wishes and ideas of Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Muhammad Iqbal. He said, “It is our national duty to make Pakistan a country in which peace, love and respect for each other reigns.”

He said all segments of the society, especially students, had valiantly struggled during the Pakistan movement. “We need the same spirit and zeal today to develop and build our beloved home land.”

PGMI students sang national songs, delivered speeches and presented tableaux depicting the importance of freedom and independence. They expressed their commitment to leave no stone unturned to achieve their goals of attaining education and serving the ailing humanity. Students also sang the national anthem and saluted the national flag. The event concluded with the distribution of gifts among patients and prayers for progress and integrity of Pakistan.

At the Punjab University, Vice Chancellor Dr Mujahid Kamran presided over the flag hoisting ceremony. “Independence Day requires us to be knowledgeable, soldier-like and disciplined in our daily life,” he said.



Dr Kamran stressed the need to respect one another and shun discrimination based on religion, caste and colour. The VC said that Pakistan would not only weather all challenges successfully, but eventually become a prosperous country one day. He said Pakistan had rivers, mountains, oil, gas, coal and other mineral resources. He said, “Unfortunately we did not have the knowledge to manage them and neither are we working towards creation of knowledge.” He said the Partition was necessary because Muslims would have had no chances to develop and progress in a united India. He said Muslims had rendered great sacrifices to get Pakistan. He said, “We must help our fellow Pakistanis with open hearts.”

Students and faculty of the Government College University celebrated Independence Day by saying prayers for peace and prosperity in the country. They paid a tribute to the Pakistan Army involved in the ongoing military operation in North Waziristan.

Addressing the grand flag hoisting ceremony, Vice Chancellor Muhammad Khaleequr Rahman said peace was essential for economic development. He stressed the need to strengthen educational institutions and said, “A uniform education system can ensure national harmony and social tolerance.”

The vice chancellor also announced one-day additional salary for non-gazetted staff of the university.

Prof Rehman said Allama Iqbal’s philosophy and Quaid-i-Azam’s life served as beacons of light for Muslim youth in the contemporary world. He said the vision for Pakistan was attributed to a gifted Ravian student and teacher, Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal. “The glorious tradition nurtured by Allama Iqbal has been aptly upheld by the successive generations of Ravians,” he added.

The vice chancellor and heads of academic departments hoisted the national flag in the Bukhari Auditorium. It was followed by a broadcast of the national anthem.

The Independence Day celebrations at the Government College of Home Economics, Gulberg, began with hoisting the national flag. Students played the national anthem on the sitar. Chief Guest Principal Lubna Faisal, faculty members, students and other staff said a prayer for the country.

Later, students presented speeches, sang national songs and presented slide shows highlighting the various aspects of the struggle for independence and the valuable services of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.]]>
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			<title>Celebrating freedom: August 14 a day to remember freedom movement says UAF VC</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748869/celebrating-freedom-august-14-a-day-to-remember-freedom-movement-says-uaf-vc</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748869/celebrating-freedom-august-14-a-day-to-remember-freedom-movement-says-uaf-vc#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 22:25:11 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[UAF holds special events to mark Independence Day.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[August 14 is a day to remember the sacrifices rendered by our forefathers, under the leadership of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, to attain freedom from the British Raj, said the University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Iqrar Ahmad Khan on Thursday.

He was addressing the flag-hoisting ceremony held at the Iqbal Auditorium.

“It is our duty now to work for the progress of our homeland. The message of Allama Iqbal and Quaid-i-Azam must be spread among the people,” he said.

He urged students to become good citizens. “Education is necessary for the country’s uplift. We have to promote education at all levels,” he said.

He said that the UAF had given recommendations for the government’s vision 2025. “Last year, 116 new faculty members were inducted and 179 support staff regularised in service or promoted,” he said.

“For the first time in its history, the UAF has developed a comprehensive action plan for the next 15 years. It is based on achieving a sustainable agriculture sector,” the VC said.

He said that 18,000 students would be enrolled in the university this year, while the number would increase to 30,000 students by 2030. “Twelve UAF students were sent to Turkey under the student exchange programmes this year. Fourteen students of engineering faculty are going to Malaysia soon,” he said.

The VC said that 50 new degree programmes had been started at the university. “The UAF offers 160 degree programmes, all of those are according to international standards,” Prof Khan said.

He said that country lagged far behind major agricultural economies in adopting modern agricultural practices. “It is important to increase the productivity to ensure the food security for our increasing population. The country is importing edible oils, cereals, milk powder, tea and wheat. This adds to our import bill,” he said. Public Relations and Publications Principal Officer Prof Dr Jalal Arif urged the students and staff to take all steps to find solutions to the challenges facing the agriculture sector. “Food security is a major issue facing Pakistan,” he said.

The UAF held several special events to celebrate the Independence Day. The day began with special prayers for the progress of the country at the Jamia Masjid at 8am.

Later, the students of UAF-run Laboratory School System and Day Care Centre performed on patriotic songs.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.]]>
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			<title>Independence Day: Ceremonies highlight  sacrifices for Pakistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748868/independence-day-ceremonies-highlight-sacrifices-for-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748868/independence-day-ceremonies-highlight-sacrifices-for-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 22:24:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondents]]>
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			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
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			<description>
				<![CDATA[Flag-hoisting ceremonies held in several districts.]]>
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			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Independence Day was celebrated with enthusiasm throughout Faisalabad on Thursday. The day started with special prayers for the prosperity and development of Pakistan and recitation of the Holy Quran at local mosques.


The main flag-hoisting function was held at the commissioner’s office.

Minister for Human Rights and Minorities Affairs Khalil Tahir Sindhu; lawmakers Haji Muhammad Akram Ansari, Shaikh Ejaz Ahmad, Faqir Hussain Dogar, Najma Afzal, Surayyia Naseem, Mian Tahir Jamil; Commissioner Sardar Akram Javed, RPO Ehsan Tufail, DCO Noorul Amin Mengal, CPO Suhail Habib Tajik and Pakistan Movement worker Shaikh Bashir Ahmad were present at the event.

Contingents of police, civil defence and Rescue 1122 presented a march past. The students of various educational institutions sang national songs. Speaking on the occasion, Sindhu said that we should follow the sayings of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to make the country a great nation.

“All political forces should agree on major national issues for strengthening democracy and Pakistan,” he said.

He congratulated the nation on celebrating the Independence Day.

Bashir Ahmad paid rich tributes to the martyrs of the Pakistan movement. “We can never forget those who laid down their lives in the freedom movement,” he said.

“Unity, peace, national consensus and solidarity are imperative for achieving the objectives for which Pakistan was established,” he said.

Prayers were offered for national solidarity and prosperity of the country.

Later, Sindhu and Mengal visited the Faisalabad District Headquarters Hospital and distributed sweets among patients.

Medical Superintendent Dr Zahid Malik, Dr Habib Buttar, EDO Asif Tara, Health EDO Dr Waqar Sadiq, Social Welfare district officer Wahida Iftikhar, Social Welfare Officer Aysha Anjum and office bearers of Anti-Narcotics Committee and the Patient Welfare Society were also present on the occasion.

Commissioner Sardar Akram Javed visited the Allied Hospital and cut a cake to celebrate the Independence Day. He also distributed sweets among the patients.

Allied Hospital Board of Management Chairman Mian Latif, Punjab Medical College Principal Dr Zahid Yasin Hashmi and Dr Rashid Maqbool were also present on the occasion.

Meanwhile, several events were held by non-government organisations to celebrate the Independence Day. A youth convention and a books exhibition were also held in the city.

The district administration decorated the roads, intersections, parks and other public places with national flags and portraits of national heroes.

An Azadi Mela was also arranged by the district administration at the Canal Road. A large number of people visited the fair.

Bahawalpur

In Bahawalpur, the main flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the Dring Stadium. Federal Education Minister Engineer Baligur Rehman, Punjab Cooperatives Minister Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, the commissioner, the RPO, the DCO and the DPO attended the ceremony.

Speaking on the occasion, Rehman said that the government was making all efforts for the progress of the country. “Pakistan Army is fighting against terrorists in North Waziristan,” he said.

“With the efforts of this government, we will soon regain our lost status in the international community,” he said.

The minister said that the Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government had appointed 80,000 teachers in the Punjab in the past five years on merit. “Our economy is improving and the GDP rate is increasing,” he said. The minister said that the government was taking all steps to end loadshedding.

“Work is in progress on the Bhasha and Dasoo dams. The government has started a number of hydro and coal projects to produce electricity,” he said.

“With the better management this year, loadshedding is 34 per cent less as compared to last year,” he said.

The Rescue 1122’s band and the boy scouts performed a march past at the end of the ceremony.

Dera Ghazi Khan

The flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Fort Munro. Border Military Police, Frontier Constabulary and police contingents performed a march past.

A national song competition was also held. The participants then took out a rally that ended at Kalma Chowk.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.

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			<title>A sporting independence: Athletes converge at sports complexes to celebrate August 14</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748807/a-sporting-independence-athletes-converge-at-sports-complexes-to-celebrate-august-14</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748807/a-sporting-independence-athletes-converge-at-sports-complexes-to-celebrate-august-14#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 22:00:04 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[noorwali.shah]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748807</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Displaced persons among those taking part in various events.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Sports enthusiasts converged at sports complexes in Peshawar and Bannu to display their skills and celebrate Independence Day on Thursday.

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and FATA Olympic associations organised different events for tennis, table tennis, martial arts, archery and badminton.

The Peshawar Sports Complex was decorated with flags and banners to mark the occasion.

The Directorate of Women’s Sports held table tennis and badminton tournaments, while the FATA Boys Scouts staged various performances related to Independence Day.

In the badminton final, Kayinat beat Iqra with 9-11, 11-6, 11-6, while in the table tennis doubles category, the duo of Urooj and Iqra beat Beena and Noreen 21-19, 21-18.

Children also had a chance to join in the fun and Shehzad of Mohmand Agency took first prize for his stage performance, while Imran of Khyber Agency came second and Ikramullah from Kohat secured third place.

Meanwhile, the FATA Directorate of Sports in Bannu also organised an event at the Qazi Mohib Sports Complex for people displaced by the military operation in North Waziristan. The theme of the event was to ‘Smile through sports’.

FATA Director Sports Faisal Jamil Shah inaugurated the 16-day event at which 3,000 players from 22 tribes of the agency would take part in different games. Assistant Political Agent Bannu Javedullah Masood, Agency Sports Manager Noorullah Wazir and District Sports Officer Bannu Anwer Rashid were present on the occasion.

The event kicked off in colourful fashion with an attan dance. Soon after the opening ceremony, tug of war, cricket, volleyball, hockey and football matches were played.

“The aim is to organise sporting activities for the displaced people of North Waziristan and provide them an opportunity to spend some time in a healthy environment. This will allow them to hone their skills,” said Shah.

He added that the top players would be selected at the end of the event and subsequently trained to represent FATA at the national level.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.]]>
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			<title>August 14, 2014: Region marks nation’s 68th day of independence with low-key celebrations</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748806/august-14-2014-region-marks-nations-68th-day-of-independence-with-low-key-celebrations</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748806/august-14-2014-region-marks-nations-68th-day-of-independence-with-low-key-celebrations#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 21:54:08 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondents]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748806</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Divided between marches and march pasts, province puts up lacklustre events.]]>
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				<![CDATA[As Pakistan turned 67 on Thursday, most remained glued to their television sets to see if the two political rallies would make it to Islamabad’s cordoned off D-Chowk. With so much going on, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) put up a smattering of events and flags to honour the country’s 68th Independence Day.

In the provincial capital, the main event kicked off before the clock struck nine at Malik Saad Shaheed Police Lines where Chief Minister Pervez Khattak hoisted the flag.

“Sacrifices rendered by our elders for independence have not been honoured,” said Khattak. “Feudal and rulers with vested interests [exploited] the poor.”

At the Peshawar High Court, Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel did the same while the Jamaat-e-Islami held a similar event at Markaz-e-Islami.

There, provincial leader Dr Muhammad Iqbal Khalil said the two-nation theory empowered Muslims in the subcontinent and gave them an identity. He urged the people of the country to unite in these difficult times.

Hazara division

Commemorative events were held in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Kohistan and Haripur, organised by the district administration and education department. At Hazara University, speakers stressed on the need for unity in the country to better meet the challenges of poverty, terrorism and sectarianism.

Swabi

A simple ceremony was also held at the University of Swabi. “Education is key for any nation in the world to attain success,” said Vice chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Noor. “The youth need to work round the clock to strengthen the fields of education and research.”

Similar flag hoisting events were held at Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute, Government High School and Swabi Stand Chowk.

Shangla

In the spirit of the day, Besham, Chakisar, Martong, Karora, and Bailay Baba were decked out in green and white. In Alpuri, Shangla Deputy Commissioner Zafarul Islam and other officials participated in the day’s festivities.

Mardan 

“Pakistan is our identity,” said Abdul Wali Khan University VC Ihsan Ali at the varsity’s event which was open to staff, students and the public at large. Students performed patriotic anthems and the day came to a close with prayers for solidarity.

DI Khan

In DI Khan, Commissioner Muhammad Mushtaq Jadoon paid tribute to the leaders of the Pakistan Movement at the Mufti Mehmood School. He lauded the men of the security forces who have been killed in acts of terrorism.

“Their sacrifices will not go in vain,” said Jadoon.

DI Khan’s deputy commissioner visited central jail and distributed sweets among prisoners. Meanwhile, schools and universities marked the day with speech competitions, plays and other events highlighting the nation’s leaders.

For the rest of the public, events were held at Haq Nawaz Park amid strict security measures.

Swat

Celebrations in the district were a bit muted this year, with only a few buildings and shops dotted with tiny green paper flags in Mingora.

“We were expecting more enthusiastic celebrations on August 14 this year as compared to previous years,” Iqbal Zareen, a resident of Mingora, told The Express Tribune. The main event in the city was held at NGO Khpal Kor Foundation’s auditorium where students, and district and education officials were in attendance.

A flag hoisting ceremony was held at the Division Headquarters in Khwazakhela attended by GOC Major General Javed Bukhari.

Landikotal

In a first, the Khyber Agency political administration held an Independence Day event at a public spot.

A ceremony was held at Lowargi, Milad Chowk. Landikotal Assistant Political Agent Tayab Abdullah said, “The sacrifices of patriotic tribes are not hidden from anyone.”

Tribesmen have died to protect the country’s borders, added tribal elder Malik Darya Khan. Cash was distributed among patients at the local hospital as part of the commemorations.

Gilgit

A 31-gun salute greeted the morning on August 14 as G-B joined the rest of the country with the day’s celebrations.

A ceremony was held at 9am at Chinar Bagh, attended by war heroes, students and the public. The chief guest, Governor Pir Karam, hoisted the flag after which he addressed participants. Karam and other speakers vowed to defend the country against foreign aggressors. Later, the guests laid floral wreaths on the graves of those who had died in the line of duty.

A polo match was held on Thursday evening.

With additional input from APP and our correspondents in K-P, Fata

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th,2014.]]>
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			<title>One hundred years ago…</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748739/one-hundred-years-ago</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748739/one-hundred-years-ago#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 20:47:57 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Chris Cork]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748739</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[War is with us in abundance. And 2014 is the hundred-year anniversary of the start of World War 1.]]>
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				<![CDATA[As Pakistan celebrated Independence Day with a major conflict in train in the Tribal Areas and the Line of Control going through a ‘hot’ phase, conflicts of all sorts are to the forefront. Thousands of Yazidis are trapped on a barren mountain top in Iraq and a rescue effort is underway. They may all be airlifted out as a last-chance solution, members of a tiny religion that never hurt anybody hounded from their homes by the organisation we are now calling the Islamic State (formerly ISIS).

In Syria, there is close to being a bloody stalemate. The various opposition forces do not have the individual or collective strength to bring down the Asad regime, and the old dictator is still sufficiently in power to hold them at bay.

Just across the metaphorical road geographically the Israelis and the Palestinians are intent on grinding each other into mincemeat and in Ukraine there brews who knows what as Russia reasserts itself in a post-Soviet world.

Latent conflicts reveal themselves as disputes over who controls vast swathes of ocean beneath which lie valuable mineral resources, and again with an eye to minerals Antarctica is going to find its non-militarised status at risk.

Europe is, more or less, free of conflict as are North and South America, but Africa is still fighting the post-colonial wars that have done so much to impede growth and development in many African states for the past forty years.

War is with us in abundance. And 2014 is the hundred-year anniversary of the start of World War 1, which at its close in 1918 had claimed a total of 37 million casualties, 16 million of them dead. Six million simply vanished without trace in the conflict that was dubbed ‘The War to End all Wars’ — and clearly did not.

This year is also the 70th anniversary of D-Day, when the allies landed in France and started to roll back the Third Reich of Adolph Hitler. As the allies advanced from the west so Russia advanced from the east and in doing so laid the foundations for what quickly became the Cold War, a form of conflict that itself gave birth to that uniquely mad acronym — MAD or Mutually Assured Destruction.

Pakistan is a state conceived and born in conflict, and there are still those alive this Independence Day that remember the bloody partition, my own father-in-law among them. Now approaching his own century, his memory of that time is still clear, or so he would like us all to think. We are several years into taking from him, in Seraiki, an oral history. Telling the tales of old where fact and fiction are indistinguishable, but with a few fixed historical points to hold it all together. Just.

Conflict has attended every stage of our national development and our own very cold war freezes on in the Kargil fight, and this Independence Day itself has been usurped by political turmoil that has the capacity to turn very ugly indeed. There may be dead and wounded by the morning of the 15th August, recriminations, fingers pointed and blame allocated.

World War 1 was triggered by the shooting dead of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (and his wife Sophie, it is often forgotten) by Gavrilo Princip. He was below the age at which the Hapsburg Empire permitted the death penalty, and died in prison a few months before the end of The War To End All wars in 1918.

No leader of Pakistan is ever likely to make a public journey in an open carriage as did Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in large part because there are any number of wild and disaffected Gavrilo Princips with a ready supply of pistols to hand. The lesson of the end of Benazir Bhutto is one that is unlikely to fade any time soon.

The place where parades used to be held in Islamabad has long been grassed over, and there will be no marching there, no bands, no waving national flags. No celebration.

Eternal conflict has finally overrun the day which the majority of Pakistan’s people could celebrate together, in unity, free of the petty squabbles of politics. Happy Independence Day, Dear Reader.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Am I Pakistani, or am I Indian?</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748745/am-i-pakistani-or-am-i-indian</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748745/am-i-pakistani-or-am-i-indian#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 20:17:55 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Zuha Siddiqui]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748745</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[For my family, the border between India and Pakistan has borne nothing but tears and heartaches.]]>
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				<![CDATA[My existence has been wrought by a perpetual state of identity crisis that reaches its pinnacle on August 14 every year. Before the green flags flying at full mast on the flagpoles lining Karachi’s Clifton beach, fluttering atop government buildings and state cars; the green fairy lights; the green paper banners speckled with crescents and stars — the patriotic spirit within me is pervaded with guilt that stems from a cloistered, well-hidden shard of my soul that struggles to identify with Pakistan, that yearns for family and loved ones that have been wrenched apart by a border, which has broken and battered the hearts of many.

My family identifies themselves as speakers of Urdu, natives of Lucknow. Its choice of identity tends to raise eyebrows within our parochial society and sends muffled whispers rippling through crowds. What throws me into a bigger conundrum — and is perhaps, the root cause of my state of disarray — is my mother’s cancelled Indian passport. Born and bred in Mumbai, she married my father — a Pakistani — in 1990 and moved to Karachi where she surrendered her Indian citizenship once I was born in 1994.

Our preference for an identity that binds us to our Indian roots is primarily associated with the fact that unlike most Indian families that migrated to Pakistan at or post-Partition, my family voluntarily chose not to. And although my great-grandfather, Chaudhry Azimuddin Ashraf of Barabanki, was closely associated with Maulana Abdul Bari of Firangi Mahal, who had ties with the Muslim League, the need to migrate to Pakistan never arose, primarily because, in the words of my paternal grandmother, “We were content and prosperous. Migrating to Pakistan only meant losing all our land, wealth and prestige and starting all over again on a blank slate.”

More than three-quarters of my extended family resides in India and the rest are abroad. We travel to India almost every year and struggle our way through the prolonged and tedious visa process for Pakistanis. In 2003, we endured a nine-hour transit in Dubai with a three-month-old in tow, as direct flights between India and Pakistan had been cancelled and our only option was to travel to Delhi via Dubai — a two-hour flight elongated and brutally stretched into a 24-hour journey. Since the age of three, I have watched my mother painstakingly fill out Indian visa forms every year. And year after year, she faces the challenges and invisible barriers that make travelling to the country where she was born and bred, an urge in despair. I have seen her dejection when she talks about her severed mobility to where her twin and younger sisters live and meet often and miss her as much as she misses them, and to where her aging mother resides alone in a palatial home where once peals of melodious laughter filled the summer air and now, emptiness sinks into nooks and corners — the tormenting consequence of distance.

For my family, the border between India and Pakistan has borne nothing but tears and heartaches. Our identity as Pakistanis has been an impediment to family unions and our choice to identify ourselves as speakers of Urdu and natives of Lucknow — holding on to the fraying strings that represent our past, almost refusing to come to terms with reality — is an element of insignificant consequence.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>The tragedy of Partition</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748749/the-tragedy-of-partition</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748749/the-tragedy-of-partition#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 19:56:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[kuldip.nayar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748749</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[If someone were to tell me that Hinduism is greater in generosity or that Islam emits more love, I would beg to differ]]>
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				<![CDATA[India’s independence or the migration of Hindus and Muslims on the basis of religion is as old as fifty-seven years. I remember leaving my home in Sialkot city on August 14 itself because the new state of Pakistan did not entertain non-Muslims, just as East Punjab did not want any Muslim in their midst.

However, I crossed the border 32 days after independence. By then, the fury of killing and looting had subsided. I did not see Hindus and Muslims quarrelling or actually fighting. I saw the pain-etched faces — men and women, with their meagre belongings bundled on their heads and the fear-stricken children following them. Both Hindus and Muslims had left behind their hearth, homes, friends and neighbours. Both had been torn on the rack of history. Both were refugees.

The tragedy of Partition is too deep to be described in words. But to convert it into a Hindu and Muslim question is politicising the problem. Unfortunately, this will whip up hatred against Hindus, who were as much at the receiving end in Pakistan as were Muslims in India.

Why were the people, who coexisted for so many years, now killing each other? Nothing would be more futile than the effort to pin down who was responsible for the partitioning of the subcontinent. With the sequence of events stretching back for over six decades, such an exercise can only be an academic study.

History’s ‘ifs’ are at best hypothetical and at worst subjective. The Partition was like the Greek tragedy. All knew what was happening. Still they could do nothing to check it. The climate in the country had become too polluted to escape the carnage and the migration that came in its wake.

Has partition served the purpose of Muslims? I do not know. During my trips to that country, I have heard people saying that they are happy that at least they have “some place” where they feel secure, free of Hindu domination or Hindu aggression. But I feel that the Muslims as Muslims have been the biggest losers. They are now spread over three countries — India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Imagine the influence that their numbers — their votes — could have commanded in the undivided subcontinent! They would have been nearly one-third of the total population.

I have returned disheartened from the Wagah-Amritsar border, not because there is no lessening of martial posture of soldiers at the sunset parade, but because of a new monstrosity that has come up there. The Pakistani authorities have projected figures in carving on boards to show how Hindus and Sikhs had killed and looted Muslims during the Partition. The reliefs have been displayed in such a way that they are visible only from the Indian side. They cannot be seen from the Pakistan side because the back of the reliefs are merely large bill boards.

The happenings depicted are offensive in expression and deprave in purport. They have been installed in the last two months, probably because the voice of peace with India is gaining strength in Pakistan and because nearly 50 people came to the border, the zero point, for the first time last year to light the candles since independence six decades ago.

Again, the reliefs put up at the border distort facts. Whatever brutalities shown happened on both sides. Hindus and Sikhs were victims in Pakistan and Muslims in India. It was the same sordid spectacle in the newly-born countries, neither less in brutality nor more in compassion. Women and children were the main targets.

If someone were to tell me that Hinduism is greater in generosity or that Islam emits more love, I would beg to differ. I saw the followers of the two religions killing in the name of faith. They were raising slogans of both “Har Har Mahadev” and “Ya Ali” while piercing swords or spears into one another. Some incidents were captured in the books which were published at that time. Aur insan mar gaya is the famous book by Ramanand Sagar and the short story Peshawar Express by the eminent Urdu writer Krishan Chander, to narrate events of how man dies when the Satan in him awakens. Then there are Sadaat Hasan Manto’s short stories in Urdu that tell how the two communities touched the depth of crime and callousness.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Pakistan celebrates 68th Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748569/pakistan-celebrates-68th-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748569/pakistan-celebrates-68th-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 06:14:38 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748569</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Celebrations kick off at President House where PM Nawaz, President Mamnoon and COAS Raheel are in attendance]]>
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				<![CDATA[Celebrations of Pakistan's 68th Independence Day kicked off on Thursday at the President House where Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, President Mamnoon Hussain, Army Chief Raheel Sharif, Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq along with other prominent leaders attended a August 14-related ceremony. 

“The nation is grateful to our officers and we salute them for their bravery,” the president said during his speech.

A 21-gun salute was fired in provincial capitals, while a 31-gun salute was given in Islamabad to commemorate the.

In Lahore, Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif hoisted the national flag at the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal, while Chief Minister Sindh Qaim Ali Shah and Governer Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad did the same in Karachi at Mazar-e-Quaid.

A 2400-square-foot flag has also been prepared that will be hoisted in Islamabad later during the day.]]>
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			<title>Celebrating independence: ‘Hum Zinda Qaum Hain’ staged at RAC</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748396/celebrating-independence-hum-zinda-qaum-hain-staged-at-rac</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748396/celebrating-independence-hum-zinda-qaum-hain-staged-at-rac#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 00:54:32 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748396</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The chief guest commended the efforts of RAC.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) staged ‘Hum Zinda Qaum Hain’ in the wake of the 68th Independence Day of the country.


RAC Resident Director Waqar Ahmad was the guest of honour at the occasion while Taqrebat-e-Azadi Committee Divisional Convener Sardar Naseem, accompanied by Naheed Manzoor, were also in attendance among a large audience from the twin cities.

The play, written and directed by senior artist Anjum Malik, focuses on multiculturalism in Pakistan and the courage of people to stand united as a nation in face of any catastrophe.

The cast included Sapna Shah, Yar Muhammad, Saleem Afandi, Salman Sunny, Hameed Baber and Dildar Khan, along with Imran Rushdi, Ismael Bshir, Pervaiz Agha and Shehzad Papu in leading roles.

The story’s plot starts from a tea house owned by a Pashto speaking family which was visited frequently by people from Punjab, Balochistan, Sindh and Gilgit-Baltistan. The play reaches its climax when some miscreants obstruct the unity of the people by trying to use them for some ‘evil’ deed. However, the play takes a turn when people unite again in the face of the issue despite their differences.

The play received immense applaud from the audience and Sardar Naseem stated that it reflects the culture of all the provinces of Pakistan. He added that conducting such programmes, especially in the spirit of Independence Day, could assist in the progress of the country.

The chief guest commended the efforts of RAC and stated that the play not only aimed to provide entertainment to people but also a strong message.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014. ]]>
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			<title>Brazen robbery: This August 14, Pakistan Movement worker just wants his medal back</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748370/brazen-robbery-this-august-14-pakistan-movement-worker-just-wants-his-medal-back</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748370/brazen-robbery-this-august-14-pakistan-movement-worker-just-wants-his-medal-back#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Aug 14 00:37:16 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Muzaffar Mukhtar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748370</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[The 94-year-old was deprived of his most precious possession.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[As police struggle to curb crime in the city, robbers did not even spare a 94-year-old man who played a vital role in Pakistan movement. While the robbers snatched numerous valuables, the victim is only heartbroken about one item — a medal awarded to him by the government in appreciation of his services for Pakistan.


Tehreek-i-Pakistan Gold Medalist Muhammad Khan Naqshbandi, a resident of Satellite Town Rawalpindi, was an active member of Muslim Students Federation (MSF) and played an important role during the Pakistan movement.

In 1989, the Punjab government awarded Naqshbandi with a gold medal in appreciation of his services for Pakistan.

He told The Express Tribune that a few months ago, eight robbers entered his house at around 8pm, adding that four of them were dressed in police uniforms. Naqshbandi said they took away his gold medal and other valuables. He said he was still perturbed over the loss of the medal, which he called his most prized material possession. “It reminded me of the days spent struggling to help create Pakistan.”

He said he did not formally register an FIR as he was not worried about the loss of the other items. Naqshbandi did say that some policemen came to his house later and assured him that his belongings would be recovered.

But he seems to have lost hope. “No one can recover that loss. No one can feel that pain.”

Naqshbandi is originally from Jammu. He said that he completed his matriculation at Islamia High School, Jammu and his bachelors from Prince of Wales College, Jammu. The college was then-affiliated with the University of Punjab (PU).

He said that he joined the MSF in college and began working as a journalist soon after completing his bachelor’s in 1942.

Naqshbandi said that relatively few Muslims were involved in journalism at the time. He said Muslims had to work very hard to establish themselves in the field. “Congress was using the newspapers as a powerful tool to influence people. We [Muslims] started playing that role for the Muslim League.”

Naqshbandi said that the Muslims were less in number but were true admirers of Jinnah and genuinely wanted a separate homeland under his leadership. He said that they worked day and night under the MSF banner to spread the message of Quaid-i-Azam. Naqshbandi said students played a vital, underappreciated role in the Pakistan movement.

He considers himself “very fortunate” to have gotten the opportunity to meet Quaid-i-Azam on three separate occasions — in Sialkot, Jammu College and during an All India Muslim Students Conference in Jalandhar.

Naqshbandi said that after migrating to Lahore in 1946, he worked in the Civil Military Gazette before joining the Urdu newspaper Nawa-e-Waqt. Naqshbandi said that he also served as an information officer in Islamabad and joined Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) in 1956. He served as a national affairs analyst and bureau chief for APP.

Naqshbandi is upset over the prevailing circumstances in the country. He said that the leaders deviated from the path Jinnah had envisioned, explaining that the “Quaid was in favour of a tolerant society where the rights of minorities are protected, where rule of law would prevail, and where there would be no exploitation”.

With a wry laugh, he asked The Express Tribune where the country was headed if robbers would not even spare an old man like him.

He said that swindlers had taken control of the country and no one seemed serious about resolving the problems of the people. “The people need a visionary leader like Quaid-i-Azam,” Naqshbandi added.

Meanwhile, in an interview with the APP, Naqshbandi said the basic objective of the Pakistan movement was to set up an Islamic welfare state based on democratic principles, adding that the youth must play their role in achieving these objectives.

“This is the time, he said, for reviving the spirit of the Pakistan Movement by forging unity, faith and discipline among the people.”

Naqshbandi was also awarded the “Quaid-i-Azam Award” during golden jubilee celebrations held by the Quaid-i-Azam Welfare Society.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Dampened spirits: Independence Day festivity marred by political impasse</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748420/dampened-spirits-independence-day-festivity-marred-by-political-impasse</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748420/dampened-spirits-independence-day-festivity-marred-by-political-impasse#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 23:29:58 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[rameez.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748420</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Fuel shortage and traffic blockades have impacted sales of flags and buntings.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Independence Day celebrations seem to be have lost their sheen this year as the country grapples with a political deadlock.


Several vendors selling flags, buntings and badges claimed the crisis had halved their revenues. Hundreds of stalls had been set up at Wahdat Road, Ferozepur Road and Model Town Link Road. Several vendors said sales traditionally peaked on August 12 and 13.

Muhammad Ali, a trader, said not many people had frequented the Anarkali Paper Market this time. He said the market had been crowded with customers last year. Muhammad Ali said wholesale traders however had not incurred losses as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan Peoples Party had more than made up for the lost retail demand by ordering hundreds of thousands of flags, buntings and badges. Ali said printing presses had been busy with fulfilling orders by the government for thousands of flags. He said retailers had nearly doubled the prices of badges bunting and flags.

Hafiz Bilal, a street vendor, said people had not been participating in Independence Day celebrations with traditional vigour this year. He said stalls were packed with customers by August 12 but this year only seven people had visited his stall. Bilal said several students had gone back without making any purchases after anticipating traffic blockades and fuel shortages.

Shahid Awan, a vendor, said he had established a stall at Ferozepur Road to sell badges, buntings and flags. He said the public had anticipated the closure of thoroughfares to traffic. Awan said the political deadlock had marred the festivities. He said he would struggle to make ends meet this year. He said it was a pity that the country would be unable to mark Independence Day in a befitting manner.

Hafiz Naeem, a customer at Model Town Link Road, said the price of flags, buntings and badges had doubled. He said flags being sold for Rs700 last year were being offered for sale at Rs1,500 this year. Naeem said the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Azadi March had dampened the public’s spirit. He said he had toured the city with his friends every year on Independence Day but would not go out this year due to security concerns.

Ali Shah, a resident of Mughalpura, said he had gotten the silencer of his motorcycle removed for Independence Day celebrations. He said his friends had refused to join him this time as they feared that the government would cause a fuel shortage on August 13 and 14.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Independence Day celebrations: PM vows to protect democracy at all costs</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748497/independence-day-celebrations-pm-vows-to-protect-democracy-at-all-costs</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748497/independence-day-celebrations-pm-vows-to-protect-democracy-at-all-costs#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 23:08:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[azam.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748497</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Urges nation to build Pakistan as a democratic, moderate and progressive country.]]>
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				<![CDATA[As he kicked off Independence Day celebrations in the federal capital late Wednesday night, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vowed that his government would protect democracy at any cost and ensure the rule of law in the country.


In his speech at an impressive Independence Day ceremony at the premises of the Parliament House, the premier urged the nation to build Pakistan as a democratic, moderate and progressive country, “in accordance with the vision of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.”

“I felicitate the nation, I once again call upon every Pakistani to stand firm and united, and work diligently for a progressive, prosperous and peaceful Pakistan,” he said.

Stating that Operation Zarb-e-Azb against militants in the North Waziristan Agency was progressing successfully, the prime minister said the entire nation salutes those martyred in this war. “We will not leave our heroes alone… the entire nation will remember their contribution,” he said. “The nation has full confidence in its armed forces and we can shed the last drop of blood for our country.”

On the international front, the premier reiterated the desire for good ties with India and called for a peaceful resolution to the Kashmir issue. He once again stressed that Pakistan wanted a stable Afghanistan and durable solution to conflict in the country.



Prime Minister Nawaz also condemned Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and urged the international community to take notice of it. “Institutions like the UN will lose credibility in the eyes of the public if they cannot do anything about such aggression,” he said.

After a prolonged hiatus, the government arranged a ceremony to celebrate the country’s independence this year – a move many have seen as a bid to counter protest marches being organised by PTI and PAT.

A highlight of the ceremony was a special parade by the armed forces of Pakistan for the first time in several years. The parade included a fly past by fighter jets of the Pakistan Air Force.

The ceremony was attended by members of Parliament, the three services chiefs and diplomats, along with other key personalities and officials.

PM to inaugurate Quaid’s residency today

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will inaugurate today (Thursday) Ziarat Residency, a national monument which was destroyed by terrorists last year.

“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will inaugurate the Ziarat Residency on August 14,” the spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office said on Wednesday. The premier’s visit to the northern district of Balochistan is part of the 30-day celebrations announced by the government to mark the 68th Independence Day.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>A Canadian perspective: Tales of humanity amid horrors of Partition</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748405/a-canadian-perspective-tales-of-humanity-amid-horrors-of-partition</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748405/a-canadian-perspective-tales-of-humanity-amid-horrors-of-partition#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 22:45:15 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[Mariam S Pal]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Punjab]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748405</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[1947, the year in which Pakistan was born, was also the year Canadian citizenship was created.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[This August 14 Pakistan will celebrate 67 years of independence from Britain. Around 300,000 Canadians of Pakistani descent will also mark this anniversary at events held across this vast country. Sadly, seven decades later, few Canadians know that as many as one million people were killed and that between 10 and 15 million were displaced during Partition.


Last year, an essay I wrote about how my family survived partition was published in a major Canadian newspaper. Many who read it told me they were shocked to learn about the violence of Partition and that they had been unaware of this tragic event. Like me, they were appalled to learn that no war crimes trials were ever held and that no monument exists to commemorate the victims of the 1947 Partition.

Several years ago, my late father, Izzud-Din Pal, finally told me our family’s Partition story. Like many survivors of traumatic events, he wanted to look to the future and not to the past. As my father’s generation of Pakistanis born in the 1920s slowly passes away, an important connection to the history of Partition is being lost.

The story of the Pal family is one that will be familiar to many Pakistanis. My family had lived in the Sikh holy city of Amritsar for generations where my grandfather had a successful legal practice. He decided that the family would stay in Amritsar after Partition.

After all, he reasoned, it was their home. But as the violence in Amritsar, a city that was 49% Muslim in 1947, escalated, my grandfather realised the family needed to have a safe place to go to in case the situation became dangerous. They would be safe in Lahore; a city most thought would be allocated to Pakistan. My father, who was studying at MAO College in Lahore, rented a house for the family from a Muslim landlord. His two elder brothers took the dangerous round trip train journey, a mere 30 minutes, from Amritsar to Lahore, bringing with them bags of dal (split pulses) and rice and cooking pots. Hidden inside the bags of rice was my grandmother’s gold jewellery and money.

On August 7, 1947 a Sikh family friend told my grandfather the family must leave. The next morning he drove my grandmother and other female relatives in a hearse to the Amritsar railway station. My father and his brothers boarded the train to Lahore. It had been decided that my grandfather and his brother would join them two days later. The family sat on wooden benches in the second-class car. They did not carry any luggage – just some water to drink. The train stopped several times along the way, stretching a 30-minute trip into several hours. My father must have been thinking of one of the train trips he took between Lahore and Amritsar in 1947. His train was attacked and he saved his life by hiding under a pile of bodies.

Miraculously, the Pals reached Lahore safely. My father went to the Lahore Railway Station several times daily to look for his father and uncle.

He saw trains full of massacred Muslims but no trace of his father or uncle. Finally, three days later, his father and uncle arrived at the house in Lahore. The same Sikh friend had dropped the two men off near the border town of Wahga, where they were able to travel safely to Lahore. My family’s stay in Lahore became permanent once word reached them that their house in Amritsar had been looted and burned by thugs. My father never returned to Amritsar. He kept a framed map of the Amritsar neighbourhood where he grew up on the wall of his house but when I suggested we visit he said he could not go back.

I asked my father the name of the Sikh friend who had played such a central role in ensuring that my family was safe. He apologised profusely, explaining nearly seven decades had passed – he simply could not remember the man’s name no matter how hard he tried.

Izzud-Din Pal went on to study at the London School of Economics, was an international fellow at Harvard and he migrated to Canada in 1955. He was one of only 100 Pakistanis allowed into Canada under Canadian immigration quotas that existed until 1961.

1947, the year in which Pakistan was born, was also the year Canadian citizenship was created. Previously, Canadians were British subjects. Until 1947 a blatantly racist law denied Indians from British India who settled in Canada the right to vote and the right to enter certain professions such as medicine. Canadian law made immigration from British India virtually impossible.

Between 1907 and 1947, immigrants coming from British India had to travel nonstop to Canada by ship. As all ships needed to stop for fuel and water, this effectively meant that no immigrants from British India arrived in Canada during this period.

In recognition of the partition of British India, in 1951, the Government of Canada introduced a quota of 150 Indians and 100 Pakistanis yearly. Quotas were abolished in 1961.

Why should Canadians care about Partition? In 1947 Canada was home to roughly 2,000 people of South Asian origin, mainly from the Punjab. Nearly 70 years later 1.4 million Canadians claim Pakistani or Indian descent. Most Canadians with roots in South Asia, especially in the Punjab, have a family connection to Partition. Canada’s policy of multiculturalism encourages immigrants to preserve their culture and history. In this way, the history of partition is now part of the history of Canada.

I was born and raised in Canada but I know Pakistan well. On August 14 I will think of the millions of people who were displaced and of a million who lost their lives. But I will also give thanks to the Sikh man, whose name I do not know, who ensured that the Pal family survived.

Mariam S. Pal is the daughter of Izzud-Din Pal, a survivor of Partition. She was a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada from 2009 to 2012, is a former staff member of the Asian Development Bank and holds degrees in economics and law from McGill University. She lives in Montréal, Canada.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.]]>
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			<title>Spirit of Independence: City prepares for August 14</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748454/spirit-of-independence-city-prepares-for-august-14</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748454/spirit-of-independence-city-prepares-for-august-14#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 21:49:56 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[APP]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748454</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[A change of guards by the cadets of Pakistan Naval Academy is also expected on the occasion.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Arrangements have been finalised for an impressive programme to mark the 68th Independence Day of the country at Quaid-e-Azam mausoleum on Thursday.

The programme wll begin at 8am during which the national flag will be hoisted by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad, who will lay a floral wreath on the grave of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah by the governor and Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah. The Pakistan Army and Pakistan Navy bands will be playing the function along with children from different schools of Karachi.

Commissioner Shoaib Ahmad Siddiqui said that adequate and fool-proof security measures have been adopted for the occasion, adding that the mausoleum will be cleaned and decorated for the occasion.

A change of guards by the cadets of Pakistan Naval Academy is also expected on the occasion.  All educational institutions will also remain partially open as students will be participating in programmes including quiz contests, national songs competition and tableaus. A flag-hoisting ceremony and other celebrations have also been arranged by different organisations.

"August 14 is the day when we need to think about the struggles our ancestors went through for our independence and it is our responsibility to keep that spirit alive," said Siddiqui.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th,2014.

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			<title>The birth of a nation: When the clock struck Pakistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748386/the-birth-of-a-nation-when-the-clock-struck-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748386/the-birth-of-a-nation-when-the-clock-struck-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 21:09:31 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[hidayat.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748386</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Barrister, shop owner talk to The Express Tribune about the times leading up to Partition and the day of independence.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[“There was a strange type of joy, when it was announced on the radio that the Pakhtuns had become part of a newly-created country called Pakistan,” said Barrister Zahoorul Haq, who was then in his first year at Islamia College Peshawar.



Barrister Zahoorul Haq. PHOTO: FILE


Haq was born in 1931 in Prang near Charsadda and the barrister is considered one of the top criminal litigators in the province. Still practicing, Haq is known for his work on several high profile cases, including the Daniel Pearl murder case in which he was one of the senior prosecutors representing the state. He was also part of the prosecution team in the case against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for attempting to divert the plane of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in 2009.

At birth

On that day [August 14, 1947], the city was lit up,” Haq told The Express Tribune. “Huge gatherings and celebrations could be seen around the city,” but massive riots in Punjab and other parts of the sub-continent marred the jubilant mood.

“But there were hardly any riots in our province; everything was peaceful and smooth, despite the fact that we had a large number of Sikhs and Hindus, especially in Tirah Valley and Peshawar.”


A picture from Life Magazine where Political Agent Nawab Sheikh Mahbub can be seen (at the table) collecting signatures of Swat Ranezai tribesmen for their agreement to be governed by the state of Pakistan. PHOTO COURTESY: FACEBOOK.COM/QISSAKHWANI.
The youth, especially students of Islamia College, had arranged rallies to mark the birth of a new country. The whole day the city resounded with “Pakistan Zindabad”, and the streets of Peshawar felt like a festival, said the barrister.

Marching alongside

A few months before the creation of Pakistan, there were several political rallies which could have been polarising—if not outright violent—but were not, said Haq. “The Sikhs arranged their own rallies in support of the Indian National Congress, as did the Hindus. Meanwhile, the Muslims held their own peaceful gatherings,” said Haq, “but they never infringed on each other’s right of speech.”

“Some people left [for India] of their own will while others stayed behind and lived in peace,” said Haq. Many Hindus, Sikhs, Christians and others chose to live in Peshawar after Partition because, for them, it was the country of their ancestors. Even if they supported the Indian National Congress throughout the Freedom Movement.

There was an excitement in the air and, “it was that excitement and those emotions that led to the birth” of two new countries.

“It was not about religion, [in K-P] it was never about religion; there was a zeal for Pakistan. And we got Pakistan but then we had to face the music,” said the senior barrister. “The anti-Ahmadi riots in Lahore in 1953, the mini martial law…”



Processsion going through Qissa Khwani, April 1947. PHOTO COURTESY: IBRAHIM ZIA.

There wasn’t much unrest in Peshawar around Partition, as there was in other parts of the subcontinent, he reiterated, because people who lived in what was then the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) were more about the politics. After all, people of all religions coexisted there for centuries, he added.

He recounted the excitement was palpable, especially in Kohat, Karak, Abbottabad, Bannu and Peshawar. But, Haq added, in a few areas like Charsadda, there was pent up anger against the British government and the way things were dealt with, said Haq. “But even then, they never regretted the creation of Pakistan.”

The first bullet

Everything was going peacefully, said Haq. “But then news of bloodletting in other parts of divided India slowly started stirring up things in the city.”

It was the beginning of September 1947 when the Sikh sentry in Peshawar’s cantonment got into a heated argument with some Muslims over ‘Pakistan’ and allegedly shot a Muslim man dead.

As a result, on September 7, 1947 a number of Sikhs and Hindus were killed by a senseless mob and properties were vandalised. According to Ibrahim Zia’s book Peshawar mazi ke dareechon se, Lord Cunnigham, the first governor of the erstwhile NWFP, wrote that some 100 Hindus and Sikhs were killed in riots. The police was unable to control the situation, at which point the Kurrum Militia was called in to restore peace in the city.

“There was nary a single day’s riot in Peshawar but by that evening, things had changed,” Centenarian Haji Nazir Khan told The Express Tribune.

Khan owns a Peshawari chappal shop in Saddar but doesn’t run it himself due to his delicate health. At the time of Partition, Khan used to work in the Copy Shop Market in Islamia College. He had worked there since before the creation of Pakistan.

“The accident tarnished the people’s joy of Pakistan. Security forces rushed to the city and the non-Muslims were taken into protective custody and packed off to India.”

The ties that bind

Elders who were around those days often like to narrate that even though non-Muslims were sent over to India, “Unh ko barri izat seh rukhsat kia tha, hum unh ko railway station tak khud chorh keh ayay thay.”

It is said two homes in Dagbehsud village in Pabbi which belonged to Hindus who were made to leave still stand today. Their belongings, including their books, were kept safe for a long time.

Many of the affluent Hindus in the province left their valuables and bags of riches in a rush to safety and as popular stories (told in many villages) go, their neighbours ran after them to the station in a bid to make sure their neighbours went off to India with their riches.

On the flip side, many an honest old man and woman have admitted that since many Hindus were well-off, those who were in their debt were less than sad to see them go.

Times of change

In the days around Partition, said Khan, Chowk Yadgar was the place to be to hear all the jalsas—a local speakers’ corner. He remembered how people going about their day’s chores would pause to listen to speeches as the Chowk was located at the main artery of the city.

“People would listen irrespective of whether the person speaking was from the Muslim League, Congress or Khudai Khidmatgar.”

The 100-year-old was there when the referendum was arranged by the British government at Cunningham Park – now Jinnah Park—in July, 1947.

“I can remember thousands of people thronged to the park to vote in favour of Pakistan,” added Khan.
But Khan did not need a referendum to know what would happen next; “When Lord Mount Baton arrived in Peshawar by train in April 1947 amid huge cheers and fanfare, I knew we would become a part of Pakistan,” said Khan.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th,2014.

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			<title>India and Pakistan: remembering why we parted</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748222/india-and-pakistan-remembering-why-we-parted</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748222/india-and-pakistan-remembering-why-we-parted#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 20:38:12 +0500</pubDate>
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				<![CDATA[amber.darr]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748222</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Each time we isolate different ethnic or religious groups from others, we sow seeds of alienation, separatism.]]>
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				<![CDATA[“Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.”

 — George Santayana

A few years ago, before my maternal grandmother was overwhelmed by her long, slow slide into forgetfulness, I had the idea of taping our conversations. I would visit her nearly every weekend at her home in Islamabad. We would settle down with a hot cup of tea and then I would ask her questions, usually about her childhood and her life as a young adult in Amritsar.

It was in the course of one such conversation that, nudged perhaps by the memory of a number of my Indian friends at college, I asked my grandmother if she had any Hindu friends as a child. “Of course I did,” she said. “I used to go to school with them. They would come to our house and we would go to theirs.” Encouraged by such a positive response, I pressed on, “So, if Hindus and Muslims got along quite so well with each other, what was the point of Partition?”

It was then that she explained, “Well, they only really came into our courtyards, you see, and that is how far inside their houses we were allowed to go.” As she paused, I found myself wondering about the significance of the courtyard. Almost as if on cue, she continued, “Their parents did not allow them to eat or drink at our houses, you see. Not even a glass of water. Perhaps, they thought us unclean.” Determined to be fair, I asked, “And is that what you thought of them too?” “Perhaps we did,” she said, and lapsed into silence.

The story stayed with me long after our recording sessions came to an end. However, it was not because I believed that every Muslim living in pre-Partition India would have had a similar experience with Hindu friends. In fact, I was sure that for every story of Hindu prejudice towards Muslims, there would be one of Muslim prejudice towards Hindus. I was also convinced there would be an equal number of stories in which both rose above their different religious affiliations to come together purely on the basis of humanity. For me, the point of the story was somewhat different: that, despite the seeming similarities between them, a large number of Hindus and Muslims remained aliens for each other. It seemed to me that even though they had occupied the same political space for generations, Hindus and Muslims had essentially remained locked in separate and distinct cultural and personal spaces. It seemed that this deep-seated spatial division needed only a trigger for it to erupt into violence, which, if it had not been provided by the waning power of the British empire, would have come through another source.

You may argue, however, that nearly 70 years on, the situation has surely changed, so why bring this up now? I suggest two reasons for doing so: firstly, so that we may remember that Partition was not merely a political solution but that the majority of Hindus and Muslims willingly parted from each other because they believed that they were too inherently different to integrate; also, an important reason why the situation seems different today is because we actually have a separate country, and to bear these thoughts in mind when we interact with our friends across the border, so that we may strike a balance between engagement and assimilation.

Secondly, and more importantly, I bring up this story so that we may make all efforts at individual levels to identify as Pakistanis rather than as persons of a specific ethnicity or religion. For each time we isolate different ethnic or religious groups from others within Pakistan, so that they no longer interact with one another at a cultural or social level, we sow the seeds of alienation and separatism, which unless actively checked can lead to our disintegration into parts so small that ultimately, each individual may need his or her own country.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Troubled celebration</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748161/troubled-celebration</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748161/troubled-celebration#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 20:11:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[editorial]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Editorial]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748161</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[August 14 is a time for all democratic political forces to find some common ground.]]>
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				<![CDATA[Independence days, or similar occasions, for nations around the world are events dominated by fireworks, colourful parades and other demonstrations of festivity. As we go into August 14 this year, we wish we could say the same about our country. Sadly, we cannot. While there have been some attempts at various levels to organise celebrations that befit the day, overall, the environment is fraught with tension and political uncertainty. The events planned for today have made certain of this, with the government’s extremely ham-handed and incompetent handling of the situation simply adding to the uncomfortable environment of anxiety and a general sense of trepidation.

Peaceful assembly in the form of gatherings or processions is a democratic right and it must be protected. We must also keep in mind that it is vital that our nascent democracy not be derailed. Our experience shows that such derailments in the past have only led us into deeper and deeper trouble. The failure to keep democracy running smoothly is one of the reasons we face so many problems today, with deep social and political divides cutting across the face of our nation. There is no better time than Independence Day to think about all these factors, to recall the vision the founders of the nation had for it and to consider why we have strayed so far from it. Problems that exist need to be resolved within the constitutional framework and any deviation from this would be a disaster.

There have been some grievous mistakes committed in the recent past on the part of the authorities. That is why, it is important that on the occasion of August 14, we keep in mind that this is a time for all democratic political forces to find some common ground. Political unity is something we urgently need. This does not necessarily mean agreement on issues, but merely, a higher level of tolerance and a readiness to work together for the sake of the people all political leaders say they wish to serve. A mature democracy is about listening, accepting and making compromises so that, no matter what, the democratic system does not lose its dignity. What we need right now is for all democratic forces to serve the interests of the people, given their pressing need for basic amenities and stability, so that there can be economic progress, as well as the general sense of calm that people need. Only this calm can allow days like August 14 to be celebrated with true joy.

There are also a whole set of other problems, which stare us in the face right now. Our country is currently at war. In North Waziristan and other tribal areas, a conflict continues between militants and the military. Over a million people have fled North Waziristan. They will spend this Independence Day far away from their homes, not sure when they will be able to return or in what condition they will find the houses they left behind. We must, of course, hope the operation succeeds. But at the same time, we must also consider what more we can do to assist people made homeless by it through no fault of their own. We must not sit back and watch them suffer in silence.

August 14 is also a time to give some thought as to why we lag so far behind in many spheres of life: education, healthcare, basic rights for people, etc. Only when we put our mind to addressing these issues will we move forward at greater pace and reach a point in time when we are able to celebrate Independence Day as an occasion that brings everyone in the country together. When this happens, fireworks can be released into the skies, songs of happiness sung and a true celebratory spirit created, demonstrating that as a nation we have gained what it takes to move forward as one, rather than to be battling one another on so many different fronts. Through constant conflict and confrontation, we will only drive our country deeper into trouble.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Unbearable heaviness of being</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748271/unbearable-heaviness-of-being</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748271/unbearable-heaviness-of-being#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 20:07:41 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ayesha.siddiqa]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748271</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Principally, nationalism anywhere can get suffocating, but more so in a country morphing into newer shapes.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[As the state celebrates its 67th birthday, there is an absence of a natural sense of exaltation. The sense of weariness is not due to incessant roadblocks, temporary fuel shortage and uncertainty about how the government-opposition conflict will unfold. It is also not because people have found another nation of interest that they love more. It is just that it seems more taxing to celebrate, especially when one is not sure what is one celebrating. This is perhaps, part of the process of the state morphing into a new shape, with lots of people still dazed and confused about what will the new shape mean for their lives.

I am reminded of my own childhood when national birthdays were less taxing. At least, there wasn’t that obvious pressure to celebrate and desecrate the national flag in the process. In the 1970s, it was still not fashionable to judge people because they didn’t have a big flag on top of their house or individuals didn’t wear nationalism on their sleeves. Nationalism meant largely, being who you were and then also being comfortable in that individual identity. Surely, what I didn’t realise as a child then was that things had begun to change even then. In the 1960s, a major part of the population in the then East Pakistan was punished for not following a straitjacketed formula nationalism. It became a sin and anti-nationalist to demand your rights as a citizen.

But what’s more important is that a top-down defined nationalism is here to stay. It is part of the change, which has happened at least in the last 30 years. A centralised concept of nationalism was always desired even by the founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, who talked about the ‘disease of provincialism’. Although Jinnah may not have wanted a theocratic state, he did desire a nation run with the engine of a central idea — united by a singular identity, language and culture. In the process, Jinnah created a new category of religious-nationalism to replace ethnicity as a defining principle of state-making. The implementation of the idea, of course, was the most difficult part, as he would find out himself, with his drive to impose a central language policy across the two wings of the country.



Taking a leaf from the original imagination of Pakistan, the state bureaucracy has struggled for long to market and impose its singular nationalism. The creation of cantonments, recruitment of people into the military or militant outfits, and the battle against ethnic nationalism are some of the measures that would fundamentally bring a new change. The process, however, involves violence, destruction and mayhem, which the state is prepared for in view of the long-term gain of minimising the strength of all ethnic nationalisms. In any case, the state bureaucracy believes that unfriendly foreign forces induce all ethnic nationalism in Pakistan. This necessitates violence and massacre.

The mayhem and resultant discomfort may appear a small price to pay if the desired result is changing the way (long term) people imagine themselves to be. So, the average Baloch, Sindhi or Seraiki may still curse the Punjabi, but would eventually adapt to the idea of the state and its religious nationalism. Furthermore, given the receding interest of foreign players in the South Asian region post-withdrawal from Afghanistan, issues like Balochistan may get relegated to the back burner. The presence of militant and religious right wing players, all of whom are partners of the state, along with use of oppression, would provide fillip to the state in terms of dominating the narrative and minimising effectiveness of ethnic nationalism. Of course, the one possible challenge remains the Pashtuns of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas, who cannot be offered religion as a mouth-watering sweetener.

The historical inability of Pakistan’s leadership to imagine the state in a manner that its diversity could be comfortably absorbed, led to the ascendancy of a formula of religious-nationalism. It’s worth wondering if Jinnah’s desire of not making Pakistan a theocratic state had any relevance, given that the founding father could not be the ultimate arbiter of religion that has shaped religious nationalism. The fact is that the Muslim Zion (what author Faisal Devji calls Pakistan) is driven by its larger identity politics to shape up in a manner, which leaves little space for religious minorities. The fate of the Ahmadis, the Shias or even the Sunnis would be determined by whoever dominates the corridors of power, but within the religious paradigm.

Sir Zafarullah Khan, the first foreign minister of Pakistan, delivered a vociferous speech in the Constituent Assembly on March 12, 1949, advocating religion as the primary principle for politics and state-making as laid down in the Objectives Resolution, 1949. However, religious politics intertwined with the principles of democracy means that it will be the narrative of the majority, which may ultimately define the religious narrative. So, it took 27 years for the state to get maneuvered into a position where the Ahmadis were declared non-Muslims. Playing on the religious wicket means you will get bowled out by those who have the ability to dominate the religious narrative and its interpretation. The problem with ideologies, especially religious ideologies, is that they are jealously guarded. Even Allama Iqbal opposed the Ahmadi interpretation of religion. The sharpening of religious nationalism has naturally resulted in greater violence. People get easily incited and kill innocent people because now their overzealousness is couched in the narrative that is the state’s lifeline.

But all of this means that Pakistan is in a flux, which puts a large number of people in an ‘unbearable heaviness of being’. Thus, you are not even sure if the flurry on August 14 and all the merrymaking is genuine or because it has become one of the few legitimate forms of fun, or that people demonstrate their affinity to the idea of a state because not doing so would mark you as an enemy. Principally, nationalism anywhere in the world can get suffocating, but more so in a country morphing into newer shapes. We still have to complete the final leg on the path of religious nationalism.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Happy Independence Day?  (II)</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748279/happy-independence-day-ii</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748279/happy-independence-day-ii#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 19:45:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[letter.]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748279</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[As August 14 approaches, most Pakistanis are filled with dread, despair and disillusionment.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Due to the dismal place that our country has plummeted into in all spheres of life in the last several years, events that all Pakistanis can look forward to and celebrate together are becoming harder and harder to find.

August 14 was one of those rare events that continued to awaken anticipation and excitement. People would look forward to decorating their houses, getting bigger, newer flags and Pakistan lapel pins for family and friends. Children would excitedly look forward to venturing out to see the bedecked city — the bright lights and paper flags adorning buildings and parks. There was a revival of hope, a revisiting of the Quaid’s vision, a promise to one self to keep up the struggle.

But not this year. As August 14 approaches, most Pakistanis are filled with dread, despair and disillusionment. They are dreading that instead of the Quaid’s speeches, they will be reading headlines of the latest threats and counter-threats. A friend with a sick father is worried about how she will take him to the hospital if his condition takes a turn for the worse. Businessmen are praying that shops in which they have invested their life savings are not stoned, attacked and razed by mobs. Parents are thinking of ways to distract their children from watching television so that they do not get influenced by the violence and chaos being broadcast and so that they do not grow up thinking that it’s okay to burn buses, to stone and assault people and to resolve conflicts by outshouting and disrespecting one another.

Our political parties are responsible for the despondency we feel today on Independence Day.

Dina Ahmad

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Happy birthday, Pakistan</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748274/happy-birthday-pakistan</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748274/happy-birthday-pakistan#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 19:40:37 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[ayesha.ijaz.khan]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Opinion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748274</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[I would rather aspire towards the Pakistan that could have been than lament the Pakistan that is.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[It may seem like we have little to celebrate on our 68th Independence Day with August 14, 2014 poised to be a showdown between disgruntled demagogues and an inept heavy-handed government. While one would have thought that at least a sacred day, one that symbolises our painful birth, would have been spared street confrontation and be celebrated with some semblance of unity, there is no such luck. It does not seem to matter that the country is reeling from crisis after crisis, cannot provide electricity to its people or that it is confronted with a formidable terrorist backlash. Even as Pakistan burns, what matters to the political upper class, or their detractors, as the case may be, is who grabs the throne.

Under such circumstances, it is easy to be cynical, to degrade the struggle that led to Partition or to rubbish our raison d’etre. Yet, despite the wanting conditions in the country, at its core, Pakistan was a sound idea. It isn’t the reasoning for our creation that is at fault, but what we did with Pakistan thereafter that has led us to this mess.

Pakistan wasn’t created because Hindus and Muslims can’t live together. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jews and Jains can and should be able to live together. However, it is also indisputable that religion plays a fairly potent role in defining communal identity, whether in the subcontinent or the Balkans. It is equally true that even in highly evolved, democratic and secular states that legally guarantee equal rights for all their citizens, the dominant culture is that of the majority.

Let’s take, for instance, the simple example of celebrating Eid in a Muslim-minority country, such as the UK or the US, both countries that I have lived in. While both guarantee equal rights to citizens irrespective of religion, and by and large, Muslims are free to practise their religion in these states without fear, Eid is not a public holiday in either place. Hence, if this important Muslim celebration falls on a weekday (as it mostly does), working Muslims find themselves in the awkward dilemma of having to ask for a day off. While most employers are cooperative in granting the day off, there may nonetheless be important work meetings scheduled on that day as it is not regarded as a holiday in the public conscience and thus, those who care about their careers may not feel taking a day off is the best course. Contrast that with Christmas when work slows down for a solid week allowing the majority to celebrate at ease and travel to be with their loved ones.

The point is that the majority, those who belong to the dominant culture, take much for granted while the minority struggles for recognition in the public space. Those belonging to the minority group also diverge in their approach as a result, with some making such a production of their religious identity that they inevitably ghettoise and harm their economic prospects, while others, perhaps distancing themselves from this group, become so private about their religion that their societal success makes little to no impact in gaining recognition for their community within the mainstream public sphere. And thus, the minority group as a whole cannot help but feel that it remains at the fringes and detached from the mainstream.

It is, therefore, to my mind, not contradictory at all that a secular-minded Jinnah would feel so strongly about Muslims as a bloc and lobby for their rights vis-a-vis the majority Hindu population. It is also entirely understandable then that the impetus for Pakistan came from the ‘minority provinces’, where the Muslim League was much stronger, than the ‘majority provinces’ that ultimately formed Pakistan. And while there have been some valid critiques as to why that has prevented democracy from taking root in Pakistan, the idea that Pakistan, as a homeland for Muslims, where they would be free not just to practise their religion, but also to prosper economically and promote their arts, architecture, language and heritage is necessarily exclusionary and the reason for the poor treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan today is tenuous.

Surely, there may have been some Muslims with an exclusionary bent of mind who joined the demand for Pakistan. Any large movement has divergent views within it. But certainly, the leadership was not of that view. Some of the religious groups being treated abysmally in Pakistan today, in fact, played a very active role in the creation of Pakistan and were assured full rights as citizens of the country, rights that were later encroached upon. Jinnah specifically also stated that Pakistan was not to be a theocracy and it is no secret that the likes of Maulana Maududi stood against the creation of Pakistan. The truth is that every country has its left-wingers and right-wingers, its tolerant and intolerant citizens. How a nation-state evolves and the groups that impact that evolution may change over time. Certainly, Erdogan’s Turkey, for example, has taken a course vastly different from Ataturk’s Turkey. Much of the Muslim world, including Iraq, historically the cradle of civilisation, is in upheaval today, which may well have been unpredictable a few decades ago.

To blame our creation for the way things stand today, therefore, is disingenuous. This Independence Day, I would rather aspire towards the Pakistan that could have been than lament the Pakistan that is.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Opinion &amp; Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.]]>
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			<title>Independence Day apparel: Catch the azadi fever</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748237/independence-day-apparel-catch-the-azadi-fever</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748237/independence-day-apparel-catch-the-azadi-fever#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 19:27:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[saadia.qamar]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category><category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category><category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748237</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Designer virtuosos Maheen Khan and Mahin Hussain allow you to revel in the spirit of Independence Day.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[Pakistani designers are giving us many reasons to embrace jashan-e-azadi as fashionably as we can. Style guru Maheen Khan and accessory designer Mahin Hussain’s Independence Day-themed collections exude vibrancy amid the despairing state of affairs in the country. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Khan and Hussain give us a sneak peek into their collections.


Maheen Khan’s Gulabo and Rangeela go green

Khan’s ‘Dil Dil Pakistan Azaadi Collection’ is a ready-to-wear line that comprises stamp-inspired bags, stamp-design t-shirts and kurtas for men, women and children to sport with their heads held high. “It is the only comprehensive collection by any high-street brand in Pakistan that caters to everyone,” says Khan. “It is a reflection of Gulabo’s ‘Proud to be Pakistani’ ideology.”

By incorporating green camouflage kurtas into the collection, Khan pays homage to the armed forces of Pakistan. She states that her collection does not merely target fashion forward customers. “It’s for patriots everywhere who shout out ‘Pakistan zindabad’ from the heart!” she comments.

The collection, which flaunts “irresistibly patriotic” pieces, has been in stores with a special “Azaadi promotion” for the past week. If you haven’t found anything yet to project your patriotism in style, this collection might just work for you.

Mahin Hussain’s Independence 2014 bags



Hussain’s ‘Independence 2014’ totes and clutches hit the right note. Paying a tribute to the Quiad’s motto: ‘Unity, Faith, Discipline’. Hussain says she has drawn inspiration from the political situation in the country for her designs. “I felt the political turmoil in the country called for us to go back to our roots and derive strength from the wisdom of the founder of the nation,” she shares. “We all are affected by the current situation and I have been able to channel my thoughts and ideas into my work.”

Her collection juxtaposes her quirky signature style with patriotic messages. “There’s a tote, which boldly spells out ‘Faith’ and it’s the simplicity of this message that makes it so effective. The word ‘Unity’ designed on a statement clutch is a reflection of what can bring the country out of its present chaotic sate,” explains Hussain.

“Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s famous quote ‘Expect the best prepare for the worst’ has been written on pouches, make-up bags and toilet kits.” She feels that her creations symbolise strong-willed, individualistic women.

The collection, which boasts 10 designs, most in two colourways, ranges between Rs2,500 and Rs7,000. If you decide to go all-white for your Independence Day look, Hussain’s handbags can add the right amount of colour to your look.

Happy Independence Day!

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Life &amp; Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.]]>
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			<title>Independence Day dress code: How to pair green with white</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748236/independence-day-dress-code-how-to-pair-green-with-white</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748236/independence-day-dress-code-how-to-pair-green-with-white#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 18:42:48 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[DANIYA SARDAR]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category><category><![CDATA[Fashion]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748236</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[We share with you five fervour-able ways to pair various shades of green with white.]]>
			</description>
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				<![CDATA[As autumn makes its way to Pakistan, we give you the green signal to add some colour to your look. 

Keeping up with the spirit of Independence Day, we share with you five fervour-able ways to pair various shades of green with white.



A classy white-collared shirt with folded sleeves over cropped straight pants in lime green is a quirky pairing. You can wear white pointed heels to give your ensemble an edge. Finish your look with your choice of chunky bangles or a necklace as seen in the picture.



We summon all the dapper men to stylise their look with a basic green polo shirt and white shorts or straight pants, if they wish to opt for a more sophisticated look. Wear brown sandals or loafers to complete this simple and smart ensemble. And why not keep a slight scruff to add some va va voom to this hot avatar?



Want to remain traditional this Independence Day? Wear a dark green plain kurta matched with an off-white churidar or tights. Glamorise your look with a necklace and traditional bangles and khussas. Local celebrity and Humsafar star Mahira Khan sensationally pulls off this look.



Wearing a white collared button-down linen shirt with light green shorts is a dapper combination for men. Folded sleeves and classic Ray-Bans will elevate your attire. This simple and casual look for men will allow them to remain comfortable while enjoying a day in or day out.



Crop tops being bang-on trend these days, so it would be fa-shio-ntastic to incorporate them into your look. Wear a chiffon crop top paired with a green high-waisted long cotton skirt. A grey and black patterned messenger bag with a touch of green and white will go perfectly with this Bohemian chic look. Plus, flat black sandals go with anything!

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14th, 2014.

Like Life &amp; Style on Facebook, follow @ETLifeandStyle on Twitter for the latest in fashion, gossip and entertainment.

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			<title>Independence Day parade: No compromise on continuation of democracy, vows Nawaz</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748362/independence-day-parade-commences-in-islamabad</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/748362/independence-day-parade-commences-in-islamabad#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 13 Aug 14 18:18:21 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[web.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=748362</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Prime minister pays tribute to soldiers participating in operation Zarb-e-Azb and the sacrifices of IDPs.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As the clock struck midnight to usher in the 68th Independence Day of Pakistan, the chief executive of the country stood before the Parliament House in Islamabad and vowed that there will be no compromise on the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law and continuation of democracy in the country, Express News reported.

Reading out his Independence Day message, the Prime Minister, while admitting that they had fallen short of living up to the Quaid’s ideal, said that they should redeem the pledge to “build Quaid's Pakistan."

"We should not forget that Pakistan was the culmination of a long and arduous constitutional struggle. It was made possible only because millions of Muslims exercised the oldest, most basic democratic right - the right to vote for their own future," he added.

To do this, Nawaz said that the nation "must first reclaim our country from the forces of darkness and obscurantism," adding that operation Zarb-e-Azb was a step in that direction.

“It was a step taken with great caution, even reluctance, and only after every other option had been exhausted, he added.

Nawaz said that the operation Zarb-e-Azb was not simply a campaign to restore the state's writ to North Waziristan, which had become a breeding ground for terrorism and extremism, it was a battle for the soul of Pakistan.

At this juncture, the Prime Minister said it was the duty of every patriotic Pakistani to stand behind the armed forces as they fight to keep Quaid's Pakistan alive. But he warned that this was not the time to sow doubt and confusion as the stakes were simply too high.
Nawaz said that the need of the hour was for unflinching resolve and absolute unity as it was the only language our enemies understand.

"I have no doubt that the people and armed forces of Pakistan will prevail in this struggle. And our victory would bring Pakistan the peace and stability which is a precondition for growth and development."

Nawaz paid tribute to the sacrifices made by those forced to leave their homes as a result of the operations. He vowed that they will be repatriated as soon as security is returned to those areas.

"Pakistan is a peaceful country, we are struggling to achieve peace with in our country as well as on our borders. We wish for the cordial relations with other countries based on mutual respect, especially with our neighbours."

Nawaz said that improving relations with neighbouring countries is the focal point of Pakistan's foreign policy. "We want a peaceful solution to the Kashmir conflict, so Pakistan and India could improve their relations."

"We also want stable and durable solution in Afghanistan, so the whole region can prosper."

He said that while safeguarding independence, the country should have moved forward on the path of progress and prosperity but unfortunately our attention was distracted.

The prime minister urged people to express their resolve on the Independence Day not to compromise on supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and continuation of democracy in the country.

A special parade of armed forces and a fly-past ceremony, which used to be a permanent feature in the past, is scheduled to be held in front of the Parliament house in Islamabad, Radio Pakistan reported.

Prime Minister Nawaz, who is the chief guest, arrived at the event where he was greeted by Chief Of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif and Chiefs of all the tri-services, and Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff committee. Members of the Cabinet, and the elected assemblies were also in attendance.

A contingent of soldiers present a guard of honour to the prime minister.

On the occasion, fighter jets of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and helicopters are expected to participate in the fly-past.

The ceremony is being staged after a gap of three years.

Although the parade ceremony continued to be held at Pakistan Military Academy Kakul each year, this year it was decided that the civilian and military leadership will jointly organise the event in front of Parliament.]]>
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			<title>Celebrating freedom: POF commemorates Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422570/celebrating-freedom-pof-commemorates-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422570/celebrating-freedom-pof-commemorates-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Thu, 16 Aug 12 05:29:50 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[news.desk]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422570</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Flag hoisting, speeches, sports activities held to mark the day.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Like elsewhere in the country, Independence Day was celebrated in Pakistan Ordinance Factories (POF) with enthusiasm, said a press release issue by the organisation on Wednesday.


The POF administration organised a series of events in which a large number of people from all walks of life participated. The celebrations commenced with prayer and recitation of the Holy Quran at Central Jamia Mosque. The mosque was beautifully decorated and illuminated at night. A renowned naat khawan, Syed Manzoorul Konain, presented naat while a renowned speaker, Oriya Maqbool Jan, addressed the audience in reference to the relation of 27th Ramazan with the creation of Pakistan.

A flag hoisting ceremony was held at POF Headquarter by Board Chairman Lt Gen Muhammad Ahsan Mehmood. A large number of POF employees and army officers were present on the occasion.

In his brief address, the chairman reaffirmed his commitment to making the defence of Pakistan invincible and stressed upon the audience that they should keep abreast the youth about the sacrifices of their forefathers and persuade them to follow Sunnah of the Holy Prophet.

The POF chairman gave away cash prises to internationally-known players of POF and paid tribute to the services of Olympian Goalkeeper Ustad Zakir who brought good name to Pakistan at the international level. The chairman awarded him cash award of Rs0.1 million in recognition of his services.

In the evening, a cycle rally and walk was held, starting from POF Sports Complex and ending at Sher Shah Park.

At the end of the walk, participants offered prayer for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan. A cricket match was also organised at the complex to provide entertainment to sports buffs.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Songs we missed on Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422479/songs-we-missed-on-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422479/songs-we-missed-on-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 15:46:44 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Life &amp; Style]]></category><category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422479</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[TV channels toned down their transmissions in respect for the holy month of Ramazan.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Every Independence Day witnesses proud patriots dressed in green and white, frosting their cup cakes in the same two-toned icing and waving their flags from their cars/motorbikes with pride. But it is TV channels and their August 14 transmissions that get us emotionally-charged in the Independence Day spirit.

This year’s transmissions, however, were not as impressive as they usually are. Perhaps channel owners kept the festivities subdued due to the ongoing holy month of Ramazan and, as a result, the lack of patriotic music was deeply felt. Here is a list of songs that have been forgotten over time — songs whose melodies and lyrics are sure to give you goose bumps whenever they are played.


‘Aye Watan Pyaray Watan’ by Amanat Ali Khan

Some songs are truly golden. The more you listen to them, the more you admire their melodies. “Aye Watan Pyaray Watan” by Amanat Ali Khan can definitely be counted amongst those classics, but was unfortunately heard on PTV only a few times whereas other channels were busy playing half-hearted patriotic songs like “Teray Bina Dil Na Lagay” by Faakhir. While Khan’s song was played quite frequently on August 14 till last year, it was largely absent this time around.

‘Qasam Us Waqt Ki’ by Junaid Jamshed

“Qasam us Waqt Ki” is one of Junaid Jamshed’s earlier songs from his solo days, which was later also added to his album “Us Rah Per”. It is one of the well-written songs about the Pakistan Army that never received due air play after its release, despite the fact that it sounds fresh even if you listen to it today.

‘Tum Hee Sae Aae Mujahidon’ by Alamgir

This is one of the lost songs sung by Alamgir, the father of Pakistani pop music. The upbeat and catchy track was a tribute to the Pakistan Air Force and featured in “In Fizaon Sae Aagay”, an album solely dedicated to Air Force songs. The song has all the elements of a great patriotic number, from amazing lyrics to beautiful shots of fighter jets.

‘In Fizaon Mae’ by Najam Sheraz

Yet another song for the Pakistan Air Force, “In Fizaon Mae” is the title song in the album of the same name and is also featured in “Shahpar”, a drama filmed on the Pakistan Air Force. A versatile singer like Sheraz is rare to find and this song is simply him at his best. Although Sheraz has done a number of patriotic numbers after this, nothing beats his brilliance in “In Fizaon Mae”.

‘Jiyay’ by Aaroh

Aaroh was one band in the history of Pakistani music that came, saw, conquered but then vanished into thin air. “Jiyay” is one of Aaroh’s most rocking tracks by far, and the only patriotic rock song that made an impression after “Jazba Junoon” in 1996. With Nabeel Nihal Chishti’s killer guitar solo and Farooq’s powerful vocals, it is the perfect song for Independence Day.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Thousands celebrate Aug 14 at Wagah border</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422254/thousands-celebrate-aug-14-at-wagah-border</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422254/thousands-celebrate-aug-14-at-wagah-border#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 04:34:28 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422254</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Colourful dresses and faces painted with the national flag’s colours made for a vibrant celebration.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Thousands of Pakistanis attended the flag hoisting ceremony at the Wagah border in Lahore on Tuesday.


The convention including women and children gathered at the Wagah Stadium early in the morning where the youth danced to the incessant drumbeat while many sang national songs. Colourful dresses and faces painted with the national flag’s colours made for a vibrant celebration.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Independence Day: Pakistan missions across the world celebrate August 14</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422260/independence-day-pakistan-missions-across-the-world-celebrate-august-14</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422260/independence-day-pakistan-missions-across-the-world-celebrate-august-14#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 04:21:40 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[agencies]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422260</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Envoys urge expatriate Pakistanis to strengthen ties with their hosts.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[The embassies and the high commissions of Pakistan across the world celebrated the Independence Day with traditional fervour.


The ambassadors and high commissioners in their respective missions raised the national flags to the tune of the national anthem in ceremonies attended by the mission staff, their families, and Pakistani community members. The messages of President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf were read out at the occasion. Youth and children presented national songs

India

The day started at Pakistan High Commission at New Delhi with morning prayers at mission’s mosque for the prosperity of the country and well-being of the nation. High Commissioner of Pakistan to India Salman Bashir congratulated the Pakistani community residing in India. The students of high commission’s school sang national songs and presented a tableau attired in national and regional dress.

China

Ambassador of Pakistan to China Masood Khan hoisted national flag and read out messages of president and prime minister. The function was attended by members of Pakistani community and students of Pakistan Embassy College. Similar ceremonies were simultaneously held at Consulates General in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong.

Iran

Ambassador of Pakistan to Iran Khalid Aziz Babar in his address conveyed grief and sorrow of the people and government of Pakistan over the tragic earthquake that struck parts of Iran on August 11. Leading English daily Iran News published a special supplement marking the Pakistan Independence Day.

Sri Lanka

In her message on the occasion, the High Commissioner of Pakistan in Sri Lanka, Seema Ilahi Baloch urged the private sectors of both the countries to enhance interaction and complement each other for mutual benefit. She said the current challenges in global trade called for robust regional trade linkages.

France

The flag-hoisting ceremony at the Embassy of Pakistan, Paris, commenced with a recitation from the Holy Quran. As the national anthem was played, the ambassador of Pakistan in France Shafkat Saeed hoisted the national flag. Large number of Pakistanis living in Paris attended the ceremony.

Germany

At the flag hoisting ceremony held at the Pakistan Embassy in Berlin, the Ambassador of Pakistan to Germany, Abdul Basit urged upon the Pakistani community to develop closer ties with the German people to promote and strengthen relations in political, economic, educational and cultural fields between Pakistan and Germany.

Japan

A large number of Pakistanis living in Tokyo attended the Independence Day celebrations at the Pakistan Embassy in Tokyo. Ambassador of Pakistan Noor Muhammad Jadmani in his message impressed upon the Pakistani community to unlock Pakistani economic potential.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Rekindled hope: Peshawar lightens up on Independence day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422127/rekindled-hope-peshawar-lightens-up-on-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422127/rekindled-hope-peshawar-lightens-up-on-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 01:46:24 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondents]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422127</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Flag hoisting ceremonies held at PHC, University of Peshawar.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Pakistan’s 66th Independence Day was celebrated with much enthusiasm in the city on Tuesday. The festive mood was apparent as residents, especially the young, swarmed major arteries armed with flags. 


Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti hoisted the national flag at gathering organised by the City District Government at Malik Saad Police Line. Many other government, administration and police officials were present at the gathering along with other notables from the city. Talking to media after the gathering, the CM reiterated K-P’s resolve against terrorism. He said the issue confronted not just the province, but entire country.

Meanwhile, a flag hoisting ceremony was also arranged at the Peshawar High Court (PHC), attended by Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan. Talking with media, the CJ took a stand against corruption, terming its eradication the ‘sole key to unleash a revolution in the country’. He maintained that nations prosper only after corruption is confronted and urged people to tolerate it no more.

University of Peshawar also commemorated the country’s independence with a variety of functions. Following a formal flag hoisting ceremony, various students presented national songs and speeches to display their patriotic spirit. A special photo exhibition highlighting the independence struggle was also arranged.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Independence Day celebrations: High spirits reign as country turns 65</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422095/independence-day-celebrations-high-spirits-reign-as-country-turns</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422095/independence-day-celebrations-high-spirits-reign-as-country-turns#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 01:31:13 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[fazal.khaliq]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[K-P]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422095</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[Skits, speech­es and nation­al songs colour the day green.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[As elsewhere in the country, the 65th Independence Day was celebrated with great zeal across various parts of Swat, Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), Haripur, Attock and Mirpur.


In Swat, a flag hoisting ceremony was held followed by wreath laying at Shuhda Park, Saidu Sharif. Various schools put up colourful shows where students presented national songs, skits and speeches.

Earlier on Monday, a fireworks display was held at Grassy Ground at midnight which thousands of people enjoyed. Enthusiastic youth of various parties flaunted Pakistani flags and danced to blaring music on different roads of Mingora. During the fireworks and car and bike rallies, the environment echoed with singing and whistling of young people.

Large gatherings were held at various squares of Mingora, where LCD screens were set up for running the national anthem and patriotic songs. The atmosphere reverberated with cheers, whistles and music amidst fireworks. A music show was scheduled at Nishat Square where local musicians performed.

Ornamentation and promises

Meanwhile in G-B, locals decorated houses, shops and cars with colourful stickers and buntings. A 23-gun salutation at dawn in the City Park heralded the day.

A flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Chinar Bagh, where G-B Assembly Speaker Wazir Baig was the chief guest. Several senior civil and military officials, elders and students attended the ceremony. The speakers vowed to sacrifice their lives to defend the country that was obtained after much sacrifice.

Karakoram International University also marked the day with its vice-chancellor hoisting the flag early in the day. Faculty and students participated in the ceremony, during which the university was illuminated with fairy lights during the night.

Vision for future

In Hazara division, district headquarters and educational institutions observed the day with fervour. The national flag was hoisted and the anthem played at the functions arranged at the Hazara University (HU) and Orakzai Model School.

The ceremony at HU’s main campus was attended by the varsity’s chairpersons, deans and teachers of different departments and students. HU Vice-Chancellor Dr Syed Sakhawat Shah said that to meet future challenges, the nation has to focus on modern technology and research-oriented education system.

At Orakzai Model School, students presented skits and sang national songs.

Sporting it up

In Attock, the national flag was hoisted at the Tehsil Municipal Authority premises by a visibly-impaired seventh grader, Wajeeha Shafique, who recently won the 100-metre race of Punjab Sports Competition, along with Jia Kanwal, who topped this year’s Secondary School Certificate examination in Attock district. National songs were presented by students from different schools during the ceremony.

While addressing participants, District Coordination Officer Attock Shakeel Ahmed said, “Today we are not Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Pakhtun, Kashmiri or Muhajirs; today we are all Pakistanis. So let’s join hands in making a better Pakistan where self interest is of least priority and national interest is on the top.” Later, the DCO gave away cash prises to Wajiha and Kanwal for their outstanding achievements.

Likewise in Mirpur, the day dawned with special prayers in mosques for the stability, prosperity and security of Pakistan and for the early success of the Kashmiris indigenous struggle of their right to self-determination. National flag hoisting ceremonies, rallies, processions and other colourful functions were held under the aegis of various public and private sector social and political organisations in Kotli, Bagh, Sudhanoti, Bhimbher, Rawalakot, Havaili, Hattiyan and Neelam valley.

(With additional input from our correspondents in Swat, Gilgit, Haripur, Mirpur and Attock0

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.]]>
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			<title>Captive independence: Police give in to ‘stunt monkeys’</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422169/captive-independence-police-give-in-to-%e2%80%98stunt-monkeys%e2%80%99</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422169/captive-independence-police-give-in-to-%e2%80%98stunt-monkeys%e2%80%99#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 01:16:53 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[umer.nangiana]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Pakistan]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422169</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[At least 30 people were locked up for attempting wheelies, other stunts.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[It looks like the monkeys have come out to play, said Akbar Ali upon seeing a rally of motorcyclists on Jinnah Avenue, all driving on one wheel with the silencers removed from their bikes to increase the noise.


Strolling along the walkway in Blue Area with his family, Ali and many others stopped to witness a “pathetic” behavior as youngsters came out on Independence Day, some on four-wheels, some on two, and many others on one.

Hundreds of motorbikes, painted with national flag patterns and stabbing at shoppers’ ears with painful exhaust noise, started appearing on the city’s boulevards minutes after Iftar. They were joined by young girls and boys packed in vehicles — some hanging out of the windows, others throwing projectiles including firecrackers, and a few misplaced ones gently waving national flags.

More than thirty of the freedom lovers were nabbed by the city police and put behind bars. They spent August 14 in the lock ups of Kohsar and Aabpara police stations for endangering people’s lives and creating public nuisance.

Police said the arrested bikers could not be produced before a court on Tuesday because of the public holiday. “Due to the holiday, they have to stay in the lock up till Wednesday and cannot be released on bail before then,” said an official at Kohsar Police Station. While a few were arrested from the Jinnah Super Market, most were nabbed on Jinnah Avenue.

Dozens of injured bikers and aspiring stuntmen wound up in hospital after falling from their bikes during failed wheelies — a dangerous stunt involving revving and releasing to lift the bike onto the rear wheel, which also greatly limits the ability of the driver to navigate.

A Rescue 15 police official said Jinnah Avenue was blocked for normal traffic by midnight. It served as a centre stage for hundreds of youth who freely attempted motorcycle and car races amid loud music. Some also staged their own fireworks ‘shows’ when the clock struck midnight.

By this time, policemen exhausted by their largely unsuccessful efforts to disperse the more rowdy youngsters, just gave up and become spectators to the show. “Look at them, there are hundreds of charged up kids. I don’t know how we should stop them,” said a Rescue 15 police official who stood by watching with a baton in hand.

However, the city police did make initial attempts to dissuade the youth from gathering on the busy avenue when they baton-charged some self-styled rappers who were dancing to loud music playing on their car stereos while blocking the road behind them.

The youth defied every attempt by the police to control them and continued hitting the roads in large numbers. The police could only arrest those who broke away from their groups.

Prevention is better than cure

The city police was aware beforetime of what to expect on the night of August 13 and what most innocent people would have to go through unwillingly. Arrangements to stop hooliganism were in place but did not work.

The police and city administration could have gone to motorbike workshops in the city to help preempt and avoid some of the chaos.

“They insist on getting their bikes to produce the shrillest sound,” said a mechanic at a motorbike workshop in Peshawar Mor, noting that hundreds of bikers visited him with such requests on Monday and long queues formed.

From dozens of such workshops across the city, hundreds of bikes sans silencers were prepared.

While police officials were deployed at every trouble spot across the city, no attention was given to check the production of the shriek devils.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012. ]]>
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			<title>Men from Pakistan Movement honoured on nation’s 66th Independence Day</title>
			<link>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422227/men-from-pakistan-movement-honoured-on-nation%e2%80%99s-66th-independence-day</link>
			<comments>https://tribune.com.pk/story/422227/men-from-pakistan-movement-honoured-on-nation%e2%80%99s-66th-independence-day#comments</comments>
			<pubDate>Wed, 15 Aug 12 00:36:34 +0500</pubDate>
			<dc:creator>
				<![CDATA[our.correspondent]]>
			</dc:creator>
			<category><![CDATA[Sindh]]></category>
			<guid isPermaLink="false">https://tribune.com.pk/?p=422227</guid>
			<description>
				<![CDATA[They recalled their determination to achieve independence.]]>
			</description>
			<content:encoded>
				<![CDATA[Meeting Mohammad Ali Jinnah during the height of the freedom movement was surely likely a dream come true for the elderly, frail men who had gathered at an event organised by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz at Numaish Chowrangi on Tuesday. As the nation celebrated the 66th Independence Day, people who took part in the Pakistan Movement were recognised for their services at the event.


Present on the occasion was Waqar Ahmed Zuberi, who was a student in 1946. He said that when he and his two friends learnt that Jinnah was going to visit Meerut, their hometown, they decided to present to him a map of proposed homeland-drawn with their blood. “We wanted to tell Jinnah sb that we were ready to spill our blood for him and the country,” said Zuberi. The three friends spent that night on the road, and waited for Jinnah’s car to pass. When presented the founder their map, Zuberi said, Jinnah patted them all and said that their struggle would soon help them get an independent country.

Justice (retd) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui, presented gold medals to the people at the event.

Engineer Shahmir Khan, who was a teenager in the 1940s, recalled the time when he wrote a poem in his school notebook after taking part in a discussion about freedom. “My teacher was impressed, and applauded me for courageously demanding independence.”

Also present on the occasion was Pir Shabbir Uddin, who had been a part of the personal security protocol of luminaries like Jinnah, Sardar Abdur Rab Nishtar and Hussain Shaheed Suhrawardy. “We took our duties very seriously. The country meant everything to us. Everyone was united under one flag,” he reminisced. PML-N Karachi president Nehal Hashmi dedicated the day to the unsung heroes who had left behind their homes and lost their loved ones while struggling for a separate state.“There would no green flags, or jubilant men doing bhangras today if these people had not stood up,” said Hashmi.

“I am happy that these men were honored today, as prosperous countries never forget their heroes,” said Siddiqui.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15th, 2012.]]>
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