HYDERABAD, Aug 14: Civil society organisations, political parties and district and town administrations staged rallies and processions and educational institutions organised special programmes across the province to mark the 61st Independence Day of the country on Thursday.

People from all walks of life participated in processions and meetings and listened to speeches on the Pakistan Movement and sacrifices for the creation of Pakistan.

In Hyderabad, the main programme was held at the district nazim secretariat where the District Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil and DCO Ali Ahmed Lund hoisted national flag after sirens.

The students of various government schools presented national songs, tableaux and March Past to mark the Independence Day.

Sindh Minister for Culture Ms Sassui Palijo inaugurated freedom fighters gallery at the Sindh Museum. She said that the gallery was a homage to the heroes of independence struggle and aimed at creating awareness among younger generation about their sacrifices.

Sindh Minister for Women Development Ms Touqeer Fatima Bhutto distributed clothes and sweets among women prisoners in women jail.

The Independence Day celebrations were also held in Sindh, Mehran and Liaquat universities and Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam.

In Mirpurkhas, district nazim, district naib nazim and taluka nazim of Mirpurkhas boycotted the main ceremony held at Gama Stadium.

DCO Abdul Rahim Soomro, DPO Mazhar Nawaz Shaikh and PPP MPA Shamim Ara Panhwar hoisted national flag while District Nazim Dr Sughra Junejo, District Naib Nazim Zafar Ahmed Kamali, Taluka Nazim Ghulam Dastagir Kamali and nazims belonging to PML-Q and Muttahida Qaumi Movement did not attend the ceremony due to tug-of-war between the DCO and the district nazim.

In Nawabshah, Sukkur, Shikarpur, Badin, Sanghar, Mithi, Dadu, Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Kotri, Sehwan towns and various other towns and districts different cultural and social organisations organised programmes to mark the big day.

In Larkana, the Independence Day function outside the mausoleum of Z.A. Bhutto in Garhi Khuda Bakhsh Bhutto was marred by a clash between the office-bearers of Pakistan People’s Party Larkana and Ratodero.

Ali Hassan Dahani, vice-president of PPP Larkana taluka and Ghulam Mustafa Agham, president of PPP Ratodero exchanged hot words and traded abusive language over a bottle of mineral water.

When the situation became tense Anwar Bhutto, general secretary of PPP Larkana district, asked the SHO of Naudero to take Dahani to Naudero police station and put him in lockup.