RAWALPINDI (APP): The Rawalpindi district administration, police and the citizens are all set to celebrate the 76th Independence Day on Monday with great enthusiasm and national zeal as all the preparations including tight security arrangements have been finalized.
Rawalpindi District Administration, District Police, City Traffic Police, Punjab Emergency Service, Rescue-1122, Civil Defence and other departments concerned have finalized all the arrangements in this regard.
Commissioner Rawalpindi Division had directed all the departments to ensure Independence Day celebrations in a dignified manner.
Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) on the directives of Chief Secretary Punjab, Zahid Akhtar Zaman was finalizing all the arrangements to celebrate the Independence Day.
Director General (DG) RDA Saif Anwar Jappa had directed the authorities concerned that the markets, plazas, shops and roads particularly Murree Road from Chandni Chowk to Faizabad and Airport Road should be decorated with national flags, buntings, paintings and colourful lights.
He directed all RDA and WASA officers to finalize the best possible arrangements for the day.
With the start of August, Jashan-e-Azadi preparations were started here in every nook and corner of the city to celebrate Independence Day with great enthusiasm and national fervour.
All the main buildings including Rawalpindi Railway Station, Rawalpindi and Chaklala Cantonment Board offices, Askari Plaza, Mall Road, Metro Track, Murree Road, RDA, WASA and PHA buildings, National Bank Saddar Main Branch, Bank Road, Mall Road and several other areas were beautifully decorated to mark the Independence Day.
The buildings were illuminated and a number of colourful activities have also been planned to mark this occasion with great enthusiasm.
Different public and private departments would hold special functions and activities including seminars, discussion programmes, photographic exhibitions, painting, poetry, national songs and debate competitions with the focus on acknowledging the contribution of leaders of Pakistan movement and sacrifices of national heroes.
The printers and makers of buntings, flags, banners and badges are fully engaged in their business.
Jashan-e-Azadi preparations reached at its peak on Sunday as the citizens were getting ready to celebrate the Independence Day with zeal and zest.
Rawalpindi Arts Council (RAC) is arranging exhibitions and other activities to mark Independence Day.
According to roadside vendors, the most enthusiastic are the children who are busy in collecting badges and also beautifying their bicycles with special stickers inscribed with messages of Independence Day.
A vendor, Mushtaq near Sixth Road said the demand for the national flag and badges was on the rise after Aug 10, adding that most of the motorists were buying flags to hoist on their vehicles.
Another seller in Committee Chowk area namely Hamid said that like every year, this year too the vendors at their stalls on footpaths were doing a roaring business and trying to sell whatever they had as the entire inventory would go waste on August 15. The shopkeepers and footpath vendors had set up their temporary stalls in almost all areas of the town with the start of August where people were seen busy in buying things at cheaper rates.
A large number of stalls with buntings, flags, badges and other items were established in several city markets including Tench Bhatta, Lalkurti, Saddar, Moti, Raja and Urdu Bazaars, Benazir Bhutto Road, Bunni Market, Satellite Town, Sadiqabad and other areas of the city.
Nowadays, national songs are in the air which gives the message that whole the nation is united.
Many food outlets have offered ‘Azadi’ deals with special discounts to attract food lovers while different boutiques and shops also offered a huge variety of ‘Azadi’ dresses.
According to a Rawalpindi district police spokesman, police had finalized all the arrangements to beef up security on Jashan-e-Azadi while over 4000 cops were deployed under the security plan devised for Independence Day.
They were being supported by members of the Elite Force, Women Police officers and officials from the special branch.
Special temporary pickets were also set up for snap checking and for cordoning off sensitive areas.
Police officers were also deputed on parks and entertainment spots in the city. There were enhanced patrolling from police officers, members of the elite force, Muhafiz Squads and Dolphin Force.
The City Police Officer, Syed Khalid Mehmood Hamdani urged the public not to indulge in any illegal activities on Independence Day such as aerial firing, one-wheeling and rash driving.
The police spokesperson said Elite Force, Muhafiz Force and Dolphin Force were patrolling the roads and streets while traffic officials were regulating traffic round the clock.
The spokesman informed that special security arrangements had also been finalized for Murree.
City Traffic Police (CTP) issued a traffic plan to facilitate commuters and the general public on Pakistan Independence Day.
According to Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Rawalpindi Tamoor Khan, 34 special pickets had been erected in the city and on entry points of Murree to thwart one-wheeling on the eve of August 14 and strict action would be taken against one-wheelers.
He said the extra force of traffic wardens had been deployed on all the roads and in Murree to handle the traffic load on August 14. Over 800 traffic officials would be on special duty while on Sunday night.
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) will organize a musical night and fireworks show at Liaquat Bagh on Sunday night, August 13.
Cantonment Executive Officer Imran Gulzar said the Cantt would celebrate Independence Day with the same zeal as it celebrated it in the past.
National flags would be hoisted on the cantonment board office building, PIA Building, AWT Plaza, State Life Building, Mall Plaza, Mall Business Centre and other buildings on Mall Road.
Pakistan Railways has also decorated the railway station building and the superintendent’s office building with lights, flags, and other national symbols.
The business community was also actively taking part in the Independence Day celebrations and decorating markets and roads.
