Time for a makeover: Islamabad to turn green ahead of Aug 14

A CDA official said the civic agency has ordered 15,000 badges for Independence Day festivities.

ISLAMABAD: The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is busy decorating the city with national flags, buntings and flowers to mark the country’s 68th Independence Day.

The authority is installing a 215-foot high flagpole near the Pakistan Monument at Shakarparian which will be completed by August 13 and hoisted on Independence Day, said a CDA official.

The official added that the civic agency has ordered 15,000 badges for Independence Day festivities as well.

CDA has also constructed a map of Pakistan atop an artificial mountain along with four national flags of various sizes at Zero Point. The map, which consists of coloured flowers, will best be seen from atop Pakistan Monument.

The authority will line up flags and flowers at the Islamabad Highway from Zero Point to Faizabad while flags have also been hung on many CDA vehicles. The official said a total of 6,000 flags will be fixed at various locations, including Zero Point, D-Chowk, Supreme Court traffic signal, Kashmir Chowk, Koral Chowk, Faizabad, Airport and Khana Pul.

He said 1,200 streamers and 25 100-foot flags at various government and private buildings will also be part of the celebrations whereas the overhead bridges on Islamabad Expressway will be decked up with flags and banners.

CDA is also asking the public to display flags and buntings on their houses, shops and vehicles.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 6^th,2014.