Patriotic zeal: Preparations for Pakistan Day festivities complete

Theatre performances, marathon and photo exhibitions planned

FAISALABAD/SARGODHA:

Several events have been planned by the district administration of Faisalabad to celebrate Pakistan Day in a befitting manner on Wednesday (today).

Special prayers and Quran Khwani for the martyrs of the Pakistan Movement will be held in the morning at mosques throughout the district.

The main flag hoisting ceremony will be held at the DCO’s office at 9am. Several members of parliament, Divisional Commissioner Capt (r) Nasim Nawaz, acting DCO Ejaz Khaliq Razaqi and officers of the divisional and district administration and representatives of civil society are expected to participate in it. A choir will sing national songs and special prayers will be offered for the development and progress of the country.

Later, several lawmakers and government officers will visit the Ghulam Muhammadabad graveyard where they will lay floral wreaths on the graves of martyrs of Pakistan movement and will offer Fateha.

A special ceremony will be held at the Catholic Church.  Prominent leaders of the Christian community and several officers of the district administration and the civil society will participate in this ceremony.

Various government departments, business and trade organisations and have arranged several events to mark Pakistan Day. Speech, naat, husan-i-qirat and poster making competitions will be held at public schools and colleges.

The Sports Department has organised a mini marathon race which will start at 8:30 am at the Iqbal Stadium and would end after passing through the Jail Road’s University Chowk, Zila Council Chowk, the Hilal-i-Ahmar Chowk, Chenab Square, Yadgar-i-Shuhda and Bilal Road.

Volley Ball and Tchoukball competitions will be held for girls, skating competitions for children, Karate competitions and mat wrestling competitions will also be held.

The Faisalabad Arts Council has arranged a two-day exhibition of rare portraits and photographs of portraits of Pakistan Movement heroes. The exhibition will be held at the FAC’s Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Auditorium.

Ham Sab Ka Pakistan, a theatre performance, will be held at Nishat Theatre FAC Resident Director Tariq Javed said the play had been written by Zeeshan Ali and was directed by Shahbaz Rashid. Shahid Hashmi, Bashir Aakash, Sarwar Rahi, Gama BA, Ishtiaq Dheki, Ilyas Moon, Munna Butt and Ali Hassan are among the actors.

The Education Department has planned seminars at various schools and colleges to highlight the importance of remembering national heroes and to commemorate Pakistan Day.

The TMAs have also been asked to set up stalls at important intersections and play national songs on loud speakers throughout the day. Banners and steamers carrying slogans of patriotism have been placed on major roads and traffic junctions.

Traffic police have made special arrangements for a marathon race in connection with the celebrations.

Two DSPs, six traffic inspectors and 124 wardens will perform duties to ensure smooth flow of traffic on the city roads.

In Sargodha, a photo exhibition titled Roshni ka Safar will open at the Sargodha Arts Council (SAC) on Pakistan Day. SAC Resident Director Khawar Iqbal Warraich said 200 rare photographs will be displayed at the exhibition which will continue for two days.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd,  2016.