Daily Times

The Independence Day’s preparations on Tuesday reached to its climax in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including seven merged tribal districts where all bazaars and markets were flooded with national flags, posters and other decorative accessories.

Peshawar’s oldest bazaars including Qissa Khwani, Karimpura, Mohalla Jhangi, Meena bazaar, Hashtnagri, Liaquat, Faqirabad and others were decorated with green and white colours of the national flags on the eve of the 78th independence day of Pakistan, which would be celebrated with national enthusiasm on Wednesday (Aug 14).

Great enthusiasm are being witnessed among youth, who were buying national flags, banners, stickers, models of historical buildings and portraits of the heroes of the Independence Movement besides made their vehicles green and white.

Balahisar Fort, Governor House, Peshawar Museum, Ghanta Ghar, University Peshawar, Civil Secretariat, Islamia College Peshawar, FC Headquarters, Peshawar Development Authority, State Life and Deans Trade Centre were artistically illuminated with colourful buntings, attracting people’s attention.

National flags were hoisted on all government buildings in Peshawar where people decorated their vehicles with green and white colours to celebrate Independence Day in the most befitting manner.

“Since my childhood, I regularly came with my father to paint my face with the national flag by an expert artist at Peshawar to look different on Independence Day,” Naina Bibi, a resident of Nowshera who was decorating her face and hands with green and white colours of Pakistani flag at Qissa Khwani Bazar told APP.

Carrying plastic bag with plenty of national flags, stickers, models of Islamia College Peshawar and Minar-e-Pakistan, she was feeling happy after purchasing 400 badges, stickers and posters for brothers, sisters, relatives and schools fellows to celebrate the day with great pump and show.

Wearing a green and white shirt with green badges, Naina said Independence Day enhances the spirit of patriotism and she will come again with family to watch the flag hoisting ceremony at Peshawar amid the national anthem by police bands on Aug 14.

Zakir Khan, a vendor shopkeeper of Pabbi selling decorative items for children including green toys, pressures horns, hats, masks, spectacles, bangles, flags, badges and models of historical buildings of Pakistan Movement at Mohalla Jhangi near Qissa Khwani told APP that he rushed to Peshawar after seeing the overwhelming response of youth and children in decorative toys and stuff on TV.

The energetic shopkeeper who sold out all stock ahead of Independence Day said that his father will come from Lahore tonight to bring more Jashane Azadi stuff to earn maximum profit here, adding last year he had earned Rs55,000 against Rs80,000 so far during this Jashan-e-Azadi.

Besides printing orders of national flags, posters, advertisements, graphics designing, promotional cards, stickers, badges, billboards, panaflex and souvenirs from government departments, private organizations, educational institutions and civil society, the Peshawar based printers, publishers and graphic designers have made roaring business during last two weeks where Jashan-e-Azadi materials were being sold like a hot cake.