QUETTA: Hundreds of youths on motorcycles, cars and other vehicles decorated with national flags and colourful buntings and lights thronged roads and streets of the provincial capital on Tuesday to celebrate 71st Independence Day as national flag-hoisting ceremonies were also held in different places to mark the festive occasion.

The main flag-hoisting ceremony was held at the lawns of the Balochistan Provincial Assembly, where caretaker Chief Minister Allauddin Marri hoisted the national flag.

Balochistan Assembly Speaker Ms Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani, Commander Southern Command Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, Chief Secretary Dr Nazeer Ahmed, Inspector General of Frontier Corps Major General Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Jam Kamal, Mir Abdul Qudoos Bizenjo, provincial caretaker ministers, newly-elected members of the provincial assembly and a large number of people attended the ceremony.

Similar flag-hoisting ceremonies were held at Balochistan High Court, State Bank of Pakistan, Quetta office, all district headquarters of the province and several other places.

The festivities started at midnight on Monday when hundreds of thousands of youngsters came out on roads of the provincial capital riding motorcycles, cars and other vehicles and waving national flags.

The celebrations continued the entire day on Tuesday.

Groups of jubilant youngsters gathered at different main roads and chowks and presented traditional local dances and sang national songs.

Several rallies were organised by different political and religious parties.

Members and supporters of Milli Muslim League marched from Mastung to Quetta with over one-kilometre-long national flag

All government and private buildings were illuminated with colourful lights in different parts of Quetta. A large number of people, including women and children, came out of their homes to watch the decorated and illuminated buildings.

Speaking at the national flag-hoisting ceremony, the caretaker chief minister urged people to get united against terrorists.

“I pray to Almighty Allah to protect the country from all difficulties and acts of terror that have disturbed peace in the region,” Mr Marri said.

He said that with the continuity of political process and smooth and peaceful transition of power from one civial government to another, state institutions would become stronger and the country would become stable and its people would be prosperous.

The chief minister said enemies of the country wanted to harm the unity of the nation to achieve their nefarious designs. But, he added, with the cooperation of the masses all such designs and plots would be foiled.

The chief minister paid tribute to martyrs of security forces and said as a result of their sacrifices the country had now become peaceful.

Schools and colleges also organised different functions and programmes to celebrate Independence Day.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2018