Pakistan scraps independence celebrations
ISLAMABAD, Aug 13 AFP - Pakistan will hold no official independence
day celebrations on Saturday other than hoisting the national flag, out
of deference to the 14 million people affected by unprecedented floods.
President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the
military have scrapped the usual festivities.
“The president has decided that he will hold no celebrations in the
presidency,” Zardari’s spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, told AFP.
In his independence day message, the president will call on people
“to come out and help your grief-stricken brethren,” Babar said.
Zardari will also visit flood-affected areas in the northwest and the
central province of Punjab.The president has come under fire from flood
victims, the political opposition and critics for his failure to cut
short a visit to Europe last week to deal personally with what is now
the country’s worst humanitarian crisis.On Thursday, he visited a
hard-hit area in the southern province of Sindh and met survivors for
the first time, two weeks after the floods began.
Gilani has also scrapped official independence day celebrations,
however the flag hoisting ceremony will take place, the spokesman
said.The chief of staff of the army, General Ashfaq Kayani, also
announced that the military had scrapped celebrations on Saturday and on
September 6 and said that the money saved would be spent instead on
relief efforts.
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