Youths make most of Independence Day freedom

Karachi:As the clock went past midnight, crackers and gunshots blew in unison to mark the 64th Independence Day of the country with the same fervor that grips the people of the city every year, save for the nagging discontent that the exclusive holiday of August 14 was swallowed up by a Sunday.

But people across the city didn’t let the discontent spill over their marked patterns of fanfare that usually makes August 14 a special day. The day began with fluttering flags, ear-splitting roars of cracked silencers of motorbikes and the annual pledge to break speed limits.

Traffic was comparatively sparse on the roads as was expected. To make the day distinct from an ordinary Sunday and the pleasant weather provided, people thronged parks, museums and the national zoo to commemorate the birthday day of their beloved country. However, the turnaround was relatively low—the reason is being attributed to Ramazan.

But many families molded the occasion according to the mood of the month and threw Iftar parties to gather family and friends.

“My uncle called a ‘one-dish’ Iftar party today on the occasion of the Independence Day. I made only one item and ran. The party saved me a lot of work,” said Yasmeen Ghauri, a housewife, with a grin.

But Ramazan seems to have failed to deter the young from celebrating the special day from the way they do. Convoys of bikes roared past many areas of Karachi, abusing the ear-drums of residents. Despite the ban on pillion riding, young men heedless of the law hounded the roads of Karachi with absolute frivolity.

Dolled up young girls and cracker-hurling kids tattooed Pakistani flags on their cheeks and milled around their apartment blocks, and when tired, sat at home watching themed shows on the occasion.

There is a general feeling that this year Ramazan has taken a lot of froth out of the celebrations of August 14. One wonders whether it is only Ramazan or the situation of the city coupled with inflation in the holy month that is draining the froth out of everyone in the city.The news.