I-Day festivals to begin in Multan from today

MULTAN: The City District Government will organise a seven-day grand Independence Day festivals, which will start from Monday.

The festivities will provide excursion, entertainment and jubilation under the title “I am Pakistani” and the whole civil society and the students from schools and colleges would be involved at all levels. The civil society, students and social activists have welcomed the campaign. In Multan, the streets are full of national fervor as people buy patriotic merchandise from the dozens of vendors that have set up shops. People of all age groups are busy buying flags and clothing apparel that shows off their love for Pakistan. Anticipating high demand, vendors have started selling Independence Day products as soon as the month of August began. Citizens thronged markets, surveying the colorful and quirky offerings. The people from different walks of life especially children found much involved in Independence Day celebrations with a lot of pride.

Venders said the products people buy the most orders to celebrate are hats, flags and badges depicting Pakistan Independence Day. The district government has planned organising poetry contests, dress shows and displaying fireworks on the eve of the Independence Day in connection with the seven-day festivals. The festivities would start from Monday with the inaugural ceremony of patriotic songs and competition and it would continue on daily basis at Shah Shams Park. An art competition of pictures and portraits would be organised on August 8 while speech competition among the students of schools and colleges would be held on August 10 on the topic “I am Pakistani”. The City District Government has designed a decoration and illumination contest among the public and private buildings from August 11 to 14. The winner would be awarded Rs 100,000 cash prize. An exhibition of statutes of national heroes and memorable pictures would be held at Kutchehry Chowk on August 13. A large variety of dress shows, inauguration of plantation drive and throwing flags from plane would be organised on August 14. Earlier, the Independence Day celebrations were finalised at a meeting held in the chair of DCO Nadir Chatha here on Saturday. The meeting made numbers of a committee responsible for preparations of all programmes. The committees would finalise ceremonies on Sunday and it was decided the key ceremony of the Independence Day would be held at Damdama at Qila Qasim Bah on August 14. The families of the Pakistan Movement martyrdom would be invited at the ceremony. DCO Nadir Chatha said that 20 special flouts had been prepared to introduce the Pakistan Independence Movement to citizens while a laser light show would be organised at Qila Qasim Bagh on August 14 night.