RAWALPINDI: Educational institutions, government and semi-government offices and private organisations in the city organised Independence Day celebrations on Tuesday.

The main flag-hoisting ceremony in the Rawalpindi division was held in the auditorium of the Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC). Aide-de-camp to Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah, retired Col Zahoor Akhtar Kayani, was invited as the chief guest.

Other special guests at the ceremony included Rawalpindi Commissioner Saif Anjum, Mayor Sardar Naseem, Rawalpindi Regional Police Officer Fayyas Ahmed, Deputy Commissioner Dr Umer Jahangir, Additional Commissioner Tariq Salam Marwat, City Police Officer Abbas Ahsan and RAC Resident Director Waqar Ahmed.

The event was attended to people from all walks of life, from schoolchildren to senior civilian and police officials and representatives of religious minority communities, who filled the RAC auditorium.

A contingent of the Punjab Police presented the guard of honour, and special prayers for prosperity and development were offered. Schoolchildren dressed in green and white also performed national songs.

Addressing the event, Mr Kayani shared aspects of Jinnah’s life and incidents of patriotism and faith with the audience. He said Jinnah was an honest leader, and that as governor-general he never spent a penny from the exchequer on his private life.

He said Jinnah had four homes – in Mumbai, Delhi, Karachi and Lahore – all of which were dedicated to the state of Pakistan. He also donated his bank balance to educational institutions such as the Sindh Madressatul Islam and the Islamia College Bahawalpur.

Aug 14 was also celebrated in Adiala jail, where Deputy Inspector General of Prisons Navid Rauf Siddiqui was invited as chief guest and Superintendent Saeedullah Gondal, senior and junior officers and prisoners were in attendance.

The event included a cake-cutting and flag-hoisting ceremony, as well as a competition of musical chairs with prizes for the winners. Special prayers were offered, and the prison administration distributed sweets among staff and law enforcement personnel. Mr Siddiqui also visited the male and female barracks and gave inmates gifts.

Another flag-hoisting ceremony was organised at the Islamabad International Airport, where senior Civil Aviation Authority officials prayed for Pakistan’s stability.

Officials and members of the public also attended an Independence Day event at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Rawalpindi. Board Secretary Dr Tanvir Zafar was invited as the chief guest, and various officials participated in a flag-hoisting and cake-cutting ceremony.

PML-N UC Girja Chairman Raja Altaf Qadir and Vice Chairman Malik Nahim, along with schoolchildren, hoisted the national flag at the UC office.

The Fatima Jinnah Women University also celebrated the day with a flag-hoisting by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Samina Amin Qadir.

Munni Begum mesmerises audience at RAC

Renowned ghazal singer Munni Begum mesmerised the audience at the RAC on the eve of Independence Day on Monday.

Her renditions of popular ghazals such as Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Sharabi, Ek Bar Muskura Do, Tumhare Sheher Ka Mausam Bada Suhana Lage and Indhar Zindagi Ka Janaza Uthey Ga resulted in a standing ovation from the crowd.

A number of music lovers, including Additional Commissioner Tariq Salam and RAC Director Waqar Ahmed, as well as many families attended the concert.

The music continued late into the night because of requests from the audience, many young concertgoers danced along to Munni Begum’s music, and later took selfies with her.

Published in Dawn, August 15th, 2018