A subdued celebration

LAHORE: The 64th Independence Day was celebrated with simplicity and special prayers for the flood victims.

The weather turned pleasant with rain in the morning on Saturday. Children enjoyed the day by decorating their bicycles and rooftops with bounties and flags. However, the characteristic zeal and enthusiasm was lacking and the mood remained sombre due to the ongoing floods in the country.

A two-minute silence was observed at 8.58 am and sirens were sounded. All traffic came to a standstill for one minute.

The government had called off all Independence Day celebrations and announced that the day was to be observed with simplicity. It was directed that government buildings not be lit up on the day; many offices also cancelled the flag hoisting ceremonies. Flag hoisting ceremonies were cancelled at Wapda House and other offices where they had traditionally taken place.

There were only three ceremonies in the city: at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat, at Hazoori Bagh and at the Lahore High Court (LHC).

At the simple flag hoisting ceremony held at the CM’s Secretariat, members of national and provincial assemblies, the chief secretary, the inspector general police, the home secretary and secretaries of different departments, were present. Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, hoisted the national flag. Special prayers were offered on the occasion for the security, progress and prosperity of the country.

The ceremony at Hazoori Bagh started at 8 am and a change of guard took place at Allama Iqbal’s mausoleum.

Another ceremony was held at the Lahore High Court (LHC), where Chief Justice Khawaja Muhammad Sharif inspected the guard of honor. He also hoisted the national flag on the LHC building. The Chief Justice also led prayers for the solidarity and prosperity of the country and in particular, the early rehabilitation of flood affected people.

Independence Day antics

Motorcyclists celebrating the Independence Day by doing stunts on public roads and the police were involved in a cat and mouse game all day on Saturday.

In the provincial capital, several young men were killed as they engaged in stunts andhundreds were injured. The police confiscated around 2,500 motorcycles and took hundreds of the youth into custody and locked them up at various police stations across the province.

On Mohni Road in the lower Mall area, indiscriminate firing by some motorcyclists resulted in a passerby getting severely injured. On Jail Road, the rowdy motorcyclists, afraid of being caught by the police, threw hot chillies in their eyes. They then fled towards the Mall through the GOR area, and managed to elude the police. Constables Akbar and Javed of the Shadman police station, their victims, have been admitted to a hospital.

Many a young men were similarly injured on Friday night and brought to the hospital; several of them are reported to be in a critical condition.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 15^th, 2010.