Independence Day celebrated even in villages and towns

PESHAWAR: Such has been the awareness about the Independence Day and the surge in patriotism that it was celebrated in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Fata even in villages and small towns.

Take the example of Katlang, a newly created tehsil in Mardan district. Several rallies were taken out and ceremonies were arranged by political parties, schoolchildren and traders in the bazaar of Katlang on Monday.

Patriotic songs blared from loudspeakers as Pakistan flag fluttered from rooftops of houses and shops or were put on every kind of vehicles.

What to speak of Katlang town, the day was joyfully celebrated in villages that form part of Katlang tehsil. Small schoolchildren guided by their teachers walked in a procession in Ghundo to show their love for Pakistan and their happiness over the 70th Independence Day.

In other villages, local schools were the centre of the celebrations attended by elders, parents, teachers and students.

The people set aside their worries and forgot the miseries of life to celebrate the day when Pakistan came into being 70 years ago. They wanted to hear and talk about the positive things happening in Pakistan instead of sulking about the negative aspects of life in the country.

The Markazi Tanzim Tajiran Katlang, the body of traders and shopkeepers in the Katlang bazaar, arranged a cake-cutting ceremony at the Zahid Plaza.

Children outnumbered everyone else at the event and enjoyed eating the cake. Senior journalist Rahimullah Yusufzai, who belongs to Katlang, was the chief guest on the occasion.

The traders’ body President Zahid Ali and general secretary Farman Ghani said the idea behind the celebration of the Independence Day was to remember the sacrifices of the pioneers of the struggle for freedom and reiterate the resolve to build a strong and prosperous Pakistan. They also wanted the Tehsil Municipal Administration to pay attention to the solution of the problems facing the traders and shopkeepers doing business in Katlang bazaar.

The students of the private sector Ghazali Public School in Katlang brought out a procession in the bazaar waving Pakistan flags and holding banners.

They were enthusiastic and happy in their school uniforms as they finally assembled in an open space and heard speeches from local elders.

Other schools also held ceremonies to mark the occasion.

The PTI, Jamaat-e-Islami and other parties also organized rallies and processions to celebrate Independence Day. The party workers were wearing caps of their parties and holding flags. The workers rode vehicles and motorbikes and also walked on foot in a disciplined way. It seemed as if every political party was competing to attract attention and prove that it loved Pakistan more than the others.

The enthusiasm on Independence Day was also reflected in the urge of the youth to have some fun.

They made arrangements to go on picnic as it was a holiday. In Katlang, the most popular picnic spot is the mountain above Sangahu village bordering Buner district.

Youngsters riding motorbikes and vehicles headed in large numbers to the mountain to enjoy the cool and clear air and the scenic sights.

They ate, listened to music and walked up the mountain. Some were heard commenting that the government should develop the place as a tourist spot to provide facilities to the people who come from far-off places and throng Sangahu on every holiday to have some fun and peace of mind.