By NNN-APP,
Islamabad : The nation will celebrate the 61st Independence Day Thursday with traditional zeal and fervour throughout the country and Azad Kashmir as well as missions abroad.
The day will dawn with special prayers in mosques for the country’s stability and prosperity, success of the independence movement in Kashmir and well-being of the Ummah.
The celebrations will start on the day with booming of 31-gun salute at dawn in Islamabad and 21 guns salute at the provincial capitals.
The main event of the day would be the befitting flag hoisting ceremony at Islamabad where Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani will unfurl the national flag followed by the playing of the national anthem.
The ceremony will be attended among others by federal ministers, parliamentarians, senior government officials, notables and diplomats.
Similar ceremonies will be also held at provincial and district headquarters.
Shops and commercial centers will remain open. Education Institutions will arrange functions such as speech contests and Milli Naghma competitions to celebrate the day.
After sounding of sirens at 8.58 a.m, the entire traffic will halt for one minute and citizens will observe silence as national anthem is played.
In Karachi, there will be the change of guard duty at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation, Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.
In provincial Capitals and Azad Kashmir, seminars, conferences, lectures, debates, speech contests at different academic levels, exhibition of books/articles, quiz competitions, qirat, naat khawani, stage dramas and mushairas in national as well as local languages will be arranged with a view to highlight the Islamic spirit and democratic struggle of workers of Pakistan Movement for achievement of Pakistan and to promote national unity, integrity and solidarity.