HYDERABAD: Hundreds of rallies were taken out in all cities, towns and villages of the interior of Sindh on Thursday to mark the 68th Independence Day.

Declamation contests, seminars, exhibitions, art contests, tableaux and musical programmes were held at almost all public and private schools, colleges and universities where flag-hoisting ceremonies were held in the morning and students sang and danced on the tunes of the anthem and national songs.

Roads, streets and lanes, many of them filled with revellers, across the province kept reverberating with national anthem and songs played at roadside stalls as well as in vehicles throughout the day.

All big and small cities and towns wore a festive look with Pakistani flags and buntings put up along thoroughfares as well as on public and private buildings.

The celebrations began on Thursday evening when fireworks were witnessed by thousands of people at many squares and traffic intersections.

Widespread celebratory firing also added to the jubilation.

In Hyderabad, rallies to mark the day were taken out by various political and religious parties including PPP, MQM, PML-N, PML-F, PML-Q, Jamat-i-Islami, Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’at, and Sunni Tehrik.

Hyderabad Commissioner Jamal Must­afa Syed hoisted the national flag at a ceremony held in the formerly Zila Nazim Secretariat, where intellectuals and prominent political and social figures of the area shed light on the Freedom Movement, role of the Quaid-i-Azam and his associates and creation of Pakistan. Various labour unions also organised several programmes to mark the day.

SUKKUR: The main flag-hoisting ceremony in Sukkur district to mark the Independent Day was held in the Jinnah Municipal Stadium.

Sukkur Commissioner Mohammad Abbas Baloch hoisted the flag along with senior officials of the district administration and police. A large number of people, including scouts, girl guides, activists of various NGOs and schoolchildren attended the ceremony.

Independence day programmes were also held in other parts of Sukkur as well as Ghotki, Jacobabad and Kandhkot-Kashmore.

Ahmed Ali Qureshi, Raja Shah Zaman Khuhro and Abdul Latif Sial, the deputy commissioners of Ghotki, Jacobabad and Kandhkot-Kashmore, respectively, performed the flag-hoisting at their respective offices.

The commissioner and DCs speaking at the ceremonies, highlighted the political acumen of the Father of the Nation, Mohammad Ali Jinnah, the philosophy of Allama Sir Mohammad Iqbal, the two-nation theory and role of Quaid-i-Azam’s associates in the Freedom Movement.

All political and religious parties took out rallies in upper Sindh to celebrate the day.

LARKANA: Thousands of people from all walks of life took part in the Independence Day celebrations with traditional fervour and zeal across Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.

The main function was held at the Government Pilot Secondary School, where Larkana Commissioner Dr Saeed Ahmed Mangnejo along with Deputy Commissioner Ganhwar Ali Leghari, performed the flag-hoisting ceremony.

Speaking at the ceremony, the commissioner called for collective efforts to save and serve the country, achieved after great sacrifices.

A similar ceremony was held at the Bhuttos’ mausoleum in Garhi Khuda Bukhsh Bhutto, where several thousand PPP activists and supporters along with members of the general public laid wreaths on the graves of Z.A. Bhutto, Banazir Bhutto and their other deceased family members.

People from all walks of life celebrated the day by singing the anthem and national songs and dancing in the streets of Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts.

MIRPURKHAS: Mirpurkhas Commissioner Sajib Jamal Abro performed the flag-hoisting at the city’s Gymkhana Club.

Speaking at the ceremony, he highlighted different aspects of the freedom struggle and paid homage to the Quaid-i-Azam and all his associates for their selfless services to the nation.

BADIN: Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rafique Qureshi along with senior police officials performed the flag-hoisting at the Collectorate Building and addressed a large number of people gathered there to celebrate the occasion.

UMERKOT: Sindh Minister Syed Ali Mardan Shah hoisted the national flag at the DC office to kick-off the Independence Day celebrations in the district. Umerkot DC Nadeemur Rehman and officials of several departments were present.

Several thousand Muslims and Hindus took part in the national day celebration across the district and expressed solidarity with each other.

MITHI: Deputy Commissioner Asif Akram along with MNAs Faqir Sher Mohammad Bilalani and Pir Noor Mohammad Shah hoisted the national flag at the Govt Boys High School, where several thousand people were present to take part in the Independence Day celebrations.

KHAIRPUR: A flag-hoisting ceremony was organised by the district administration at the Govt Naz Pilot Secondary School to celebrate the Independence Day.

PPP MNA Nafisa Shah chaired at another programme held at the Jillani House to mark the day.

Several events were organised at the Shah Abdul Latif University, where Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Parveen Shah along with pro-vice chancellors of other campuses of the university performed the national flag hoisting.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2014