LAHORE: The Lahorites celebrated the Independence Day with traditional zeal and made it festive and noisy as usual here on Thursday.
The public and private buildings were decorated with lights, flags and buntings while cars, motorcycles and other vehicles were also decorated with national flags, a large number of revelers came on the roads to express their ‘Independence’ by blowing horns, riding motorbikes without silencers and making hooliganism on the roads.
A number of youth also removed their bike’s silencers before coming out on the roads. Almost everyone, especially children, decorated their houses with buntings and flags.
The main flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the tomb of Allama Iqbal while such ceremonies were also held at various places, including the public and private institutions.
A flag-hoisting ceremony was held at Hazuri Bagh while other prominent ceremonies were held at the Wagah Border, LDA head office, Wasa head office, the Wapda House, the Railway Headquarters, the Town Hall and etc.
Besides the ceremonies, exhibitions, folk -music programmes, stage shows and speech competitions were also organised by various organisations to mark the day.
A rush was observed at almost every public park and entertainment places, including cinemas and theatres while a very large number of citizens also visited the Lahore Zoo where the administration has to make special arrangements for the day.
The City police took special measures to counter any subversive and heavy contingents were present on the roads for the safety and law and order duties.
The security officials in plainclothes were also deployed at various important places to keep a vigilant eye on law and order. Traffic wardens, Rescue 1122 and Civil Defence officials were also put on high alert.
The civic agencies i.e. Water and Sanitation Agency, Lahore Waste Management Company and City District Government Lahore were also on high alert to cope with any kind of emergency.
As usual, The Mall was the point of attraction for the I-Day celebrators, especially the youth riding bikes without mufflers. A number of youth preferred wearing green and white clothes i.e. T-shirts while many were seen joy-riding on bikes with Pakistani flag wrapped around their bodies.
Traffic jams were witnessed on many roads especially The Mall and other connecting roads, like the Canal Bank Road, and Gymkhana Road, etc. Unaware of their fate, a large number of young motorists were seen doing different kinds of stunts on their two-wheelers. A number of people were also seen carrying national flags in
their hands, while many had erected the flags on rickshaws, bikes, cycles, cars, jeeps and etc.
Famous food points also witnessed rush of people. Lakshami Chowk, Gowalmandi Food Street, Moon Market Allama Iqbal Town, Food Street Anarkali, MM Alam Road, Liberty and Barkat Market were the main points of attraction for the food lovers.
Meanwhile, business community, especially the multinational companies, also organised various colourful events while the social organisations also organised seminars.
At the LDA headquarters, DG Tahir Farooq hoisted the flag. Children from LDA schools presented national songs at the ceremony.
The Lahore Waste Management Company (LWMC) organised a ceremony at its head office, highlighting both national pride and the organisation’s commitment to environmental cleanliness.
The event, themed around the Marka-e-Haq (Battle for Truth) and the Independence Day, was attended by Chairman Malik Bilal Zulfiqar Khokhar, CEO Babar Sahib Din, Board Member Dr Sobia Bhatti, political leader Chaudhary Shehbaz (President PMLN Lahore), and Malik Saif-ul-Malook Khokhar, who graced the event as chief guest.
The Punjab Central Business District hosted a vibrant Bicycle Ride for Unity, flag hoisting and cake cutting ceremony. The Parks and Horticulture Authority Lahore, in collaboration with the Citizens Archive of Pakistan, organised a series of events.
The Ravi Urban Development Authority (RUDA) held a vibrant Marka-e-Haq Independence Day ceremony with full zeal and zest, showcasing unwavering patriotism and dedication to the development and progress of our great nation.
The event was attended by RUDA Chairman Shahid Ashraf Tarar, Chief Operating Officer (COO) Mansoor Janjua, the head of the departments and their entire workforce, along with Deputy Commissioner Lahore Syed Musa Raza and former DG WCLA Kamran Lashari, as they came together to commemorate this occasion. A flag-hoisting ceremony was held along with cake cutting and tree plantation activity in RUDA headquarters.
The Walled City of Lahore Authority (WCLA) celebrations commenced with a flag hoisting ceremony at Delhi Gate, led by the Director General of WCLA Maleeha Rashid.