ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has accepted a proposal by Senate Chair­man Raza Rabbani to hold the August 14 flag-hoisting ceremony in the Parliament House instead of the Convention Centre.

Earlier, in a letter written to the then prime minister Nawaz Sharif on June 19, the Senate chairman said that elected governments had always held flag-hoisting ceremonies in the precincts of the Parliament House to prove that the state was exercising its powers and authority through its chosen representatives. But military dictators preferred to hold the event “behind closed doors”.

Mr Rabbani said that he had discussed the matter with National Assembly Spe­aker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who had agreed to the proposal. However, since the Senate chairman received no reply from the Prime Minister Office for almost one and half months, he asked Senate Secretary Amjed Pervez Malik on Tuesday to send a reminder seeking response to the proposal, which was then approved by Mr Abbasi on Thursday.

Additional Deputy Com­missioner Abdul Sattar Isani said a decision had been made to hold the ceremony in the Parliament House, but in case it rained on Inde­pendence Day, the event would be held in the Convention Centre.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2017