Bashir Hussain Azad
CHITRAL: The 79th Independence Day was celebrated with great enthusiasm and patriotic spirit across Lower and Upper Chitral, with flag-hoisting ceremonies, tree plantation drives, cultural programmes and sports competitions held across the two districts.
The day began with special prayers in mosques for the prosperity, development and security of Pakistan.
The main ceremony was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s House, where Lower Chitral Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Hashim Azim hoisted a 33-by-80-foot national flag. Following the ceremony, officials and residents participated in an Independence Day walk and raised slogans of “Pakistan Zindabad.”
Special programmes were also organised at educational institutions. At Government Centennial High School, a ceremony was held under the supervision of Principal Abdul Bari, with Deputy Commissioner Hashim Azim as the chief guest.
In his address, the deputy commissioner said Chitral had maintained an exemplary law-and-order situation despite sharing a 500-kilometre border with Afghanistan, calling it a reflection of the people’s patriotism.
The University of Chitral also held an Independence Day ceremony chaired by Vice Chancellor Professor Dr Hazirullah. Children at Alkhidmat Foundation’s Aghosh programme presented a special stage show. Similar celebrations were held at hundreds of schools in Buni and other remote villages and valleys of Lower and Upper Chitral.
The Forest Department launched a monsoon tree plantation campaign at Saidabad, where the deputy commissioner and District Forest Officer Asif Ali Shah planted saplings.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority also organised a cake-cutting ceremony at the Tourist Facilitation Centre.
Similarly, Independence Day was celebrated in government departments and educational institutions in Upper Chitral. A flag hoisting ceremony was also held at the GHS Booni.
Markets in Chitral and Booni were decorated with national flags, while polo and football matches were organised at different locations. Patriotic poetry gatherings were also held to mark the occasion.
During Friday prayers, religious scholars highlighted the importance of independence and prayed for the safety, peace and prosperity of Pakistan.