Lahore gears up for Independence Day celebrations

Main flag hoisting ceremony will be held at Hazoori Bagh near Lahore Fort

LAHORE: Preparations to celebrate 71th Independence Day of Pakistan are continued in full swing in the provincial capital. The provincial and district governments have finalised arrangements for a series of events that will kick-start with elaborated fireworks at various place in the city on midnight between the August 13th and 14th.

Although a large number of people have already left the provincial capital to celebrate Independence Day with their families and friends in their native town, still a great enthusiasm is being witnessed among citizens. Special stalls with national flags, buntings, badges, caps, t-shirts, stickers and other decorative items are being set up everywhere in the city.

As per tradition, the Independence Day will start with special prayers in mosques for peace and security in the country. The main flag-hoisting ceremony will be held at Hazoori Bagh near the Lahore Fort where a large number of school children will sing national songs. A large number of billboards, hoarding, and streamers inscribed with Independence Day messages have already been displayed by the government and corporate sector in all main areas of the city.



The Punjab government has also made a comprehensive plan to celebrate Independence Day in a befitting manner throughout the province. Various ceremonies would be organised at provincial, divisional, district and tehsil levels. Speech and essay competitions, seminars, symposiums, sports activities, national songs contests and others events would be held in schools, colleges, and universities. Punjab Chief Secretary Akbar Durrani has recently inaugurated an exhibition of rare photos of Pakistan Movement as part of Independence Day celebrations at National College of Arts (NCA).

The Lahore Development Authority (LDA) in collaboration with the trading community and private housing societies have planned various events, including fireworks at Aleem Dar Cricket Academy in Johar Town and in private housing colonies on the evening of August 13. The authority will also organise a musical concert of national songs besides grand concerts of national songs at National Hockey Stadium on the August 14 evening. Some prominent singers will perform on the occasion.

A floodlit cricket match will also be organised at Aleem Dar Cricket Academy while a hockey match will be held at Hockey Stadium at Johar Town. Private housing societies will also organise national songs concerts.

The authority has announced the distribution of prizes and certificates of distinction to the housing societies that would perform better in these festivities.

To promote sports in Pakistan, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has also organised a cricket tournament on the eve of Independence Day. Likewise, this year the cricket tournament is being held under the title "3rd Inter CAA Independence Tournament" in Lahore and Karachi. The final match of the tournament will be played between successful teams on 14th August 2018 at Karachi.

Similarly, the preparations for celebrating the Independence Day with traditional zeal and enthusiasm are at its peak in the Sialkot. National flags can be seen hoisting on vehicles, including cars, motorcycles, and trucks, besides on government and private buildings, houses, markets, and shops.

The people especially children and youth have decorated their vehicles with national flags and stickers. The shops, buildings, government offices, and houses are being decorated to celebrate the Independence Day.

The children can also be seen buying buntings, stickers, and badges from their pocket money. Shopkeepers said that their business was gaining momentum as demand for buntings and stickers bearing pictures of flags and national heroes went up in the market.



Action against violators of law

Police will conduct a grand operation against aerial firing, fireworks, loud speakers and one wheeling on the eve of Independence Day, said Lahore DIG Operations Shehzad Akbar on Saturday.

All SPs, DSPs and SHOs have been directed to take stern action against those who will violate the law on Independence Day, he added. We obtained this country after making a great many sacrifices. Our youth should aim to highlight the country in a positive light, he maintained.

A comprehensive security plan will be made to maintain law and order. Those found indulging in one wheeling, hooting, aerial firing and fireworks will be jailed, he stressed.

All Independence Day ceremonies will also be secured; sensitive gatherings will be monitored by the Safe City Authority through CCTV cameras. In addition to this, security at parks and other public places will be on high alert, Akbar said.

Officials from the Dolphin Squad and the Police Response Unit will ensure that all the important roads in the city will be effectively patrolled. Citizens should cooperate with Lahore police and celebrate Independence Day with passion, he emphasised.

Earlier, Punjab Inspector General Syed Kaleem conducted a meeting at the Central Police Office to discuss the security plan for Independence Day celebrations.

On the occasion Kaleem highlighted that aerial firing, fireworks and loud speakers will not be tolerated. He directed all the police officers to make plans for the patrolling squad as well as the special motorcycle squad that will work in shifts from August 13.

He directed DPOs of sensitive districts to lay down a security plan for A-category ceremonies under their supervision, while also ensuring it is implemented. He also ordered that strict legal action be taken against youngsters found to be doing wheelies and riding motorcycles without silencers.

The patrolling hours of the Dolphin Squad and the Police Response Unit will be increased while strict security arrangements will be made to secure parking areas so that citizens can celebrate Independence Day without any fear, he added.



During the meeting, AIG Operation Imran Mehmood briefed the IGP about the extensive security plan. Approximately, 26,399 officers and officials will be on duty at various Independence Day ceremonies.

Out of this grand total, 245 SPs and DSPs, 530 inspectors, 3,495 sub inspectors and ASIs, 18,012 constables and head constables will be on duty. Further, 4,932 volunteers will also be in the security detail.

Meanwhile, 142 walk through gates, 2,942 metal detectors and more than 1,000 CCTV cameras will be installed for security.

With additional reporting by APP 

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2018.