Nation celebrates Independence Day with simplicity

KARACHI: The worst floods in Pakistan have eclipsed Independence Day, August 14 celebrations, leading to cancellations of government festivities and prompting nation to make celebrations with simplicity as water levels recede in some areas, while others face the threat of further flooding. “We have no interest in celebrating either Independence Day or Eid because of the widespread devastation caused by the floods,” said an activist of a political party in Karachi. Senior government officials generally are reluctant to organise functions and to participate in Independence Day festivities as they are visiting the flood-hit areas, officials of the chief minister of the Sindh secretariat told media. Nor will there be an Independence Day ceremony at Aiwan-e-Sadr. President Asif Ali Zardari will spend the day with flood victims in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, according to a statement from the president’s office. The army is cancelling its Independence and Defence Day celebrations, donating the funds it would spend on those activities to flood victims instead, according to an August 12 ISPR statement. The decision to cancel both these functions emerged from an emergency meeting of the Corps Commanders of the Pakistan Army held at GHQ in Rawalpindi, it said. Pakistanis have celebrated Independence Day every August 14 since 1947 to mark the creation of Pakistan after the Partition. Ordinarily, cars and rooftops are festooned with bunting and flags on Independence Day. But this year, the euphoria has vanished. Floods have marooned and displaced millions of residents and killed about 1,500 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab and Sindh provinces, said Sharmila Farooquil, adviser to the chief minister of Sindh. The water level at Sukkur Barrage has begun receding, officials said, so the danger there is fading. On August 13, the water level at the barrage decreased to 1.09m cusecs compared to last week's record inflow of 1.15m cusecs, officials said. The barrage is designed for a maximum of 0.9m cusecs. However, other areas remain endangered. Fresh torrents of floodwater in Chenab and Tavi Rivers in Punjab threaten cities like Multan, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Rahimyar Khan in Punjab, while rising water at Kotri Barrage have inundated Jacobabad and adjacent areas in Sindh, officials added. Aside from the billions of rupees of damage already caused by the flooding, the cancellation of Independence Day celebrations affected vendors who sell national regalia.