Festivity: Eid Miladun Nabi celebrated with enthusiasm

Processions and rallies arranged; free food distributed

LAHORE:

Eid Miladun Nabi was celebrated in the city on Sunday. The day dawned with a 21-gun salute.

Public and private buildings were decorated with colourful lights. Groups of citizens in many areas displayed replicas of buildings and places of religious importance.

Several religious parties arranged processions across the city.

Participants of the procession were offered free food and drinks at stalls set up along the procession routes.

The Markazi Milad Committee and the Dawat-i-Islami had organised the major processions. The Markazi Milad Committee arranged a rally at the City railways station where some of the participants performed stunts.

Civil Defence officials presented horse dance, karate and weight-lifting sessions and paraded near the City station. Railway Police, too, held a parade there.

A large number of people, including children, attended the rally that started from the City railway station and concluded at Data Darbar.

The Dawat-i-Islami also organised a rally from the City railways station to Data Darbar. Most of the replicas were seen in and around the Walled City, Krishan Nagar, Shahdara, Mohni Road, Iqbal Town, Township, Green Town, Ichhra, Mozang and Baghbanpura.

Naats and qawalis were also played. In Ichhra, some people sacrificed camels and goats and distributed free food.

Police had made stringent security measures to maintain order. They also made announcements in several places asking people not to wear masks or play songs at processions.

The Tehreek Sirat-i-Mustaqeem Pakistan organised a rally from Lahore Press Club to Charing Cross.

Tehreek head Ashraf Asif Jalali accused the government of harassing its volunteers by stopping them from participating in the celebrations. He also demanded that the authorities release Mumtaz Qadri, the confessed assassin of former governor Salmaan Taseer.

He said the Tehreek would defend Section 295-C (blasphemy) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Pakistan Sunni Tehreek leader Mujahid Abdul Rasool Khan told the rally that they would defend the finality of prophethood at all costs. He slammed the government for not ensuring uninterrupted power supply on the day.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 6^th, 2015.