As 14th august comes close people in Rabwah, Pakistan prepare to celebrate Pakistan’s 64th Independence Day.
Flags, ticker tapes and badges have been on sale for weeks now but as the big day draws near tradesmen have seen an increase in sales.
The local hospital and the town’s central mosque “The Aqsa Mosque” has also been lit up to commemorate the occasion but the Government seems to be oblivious of the occasion as the local administration offices still remain plunged into darkness.
Mr. Ahmad one of the shopkeepers tells us that “there’s always an increase in sales as 14th august draws near but overall business isn’t that good due to the current economic climate of the country.”
On the other hand one of MR. Ahmad’s customers, Mr. Raza questions the right of celebration itself. He recalls the moment when in 2008 entire population of the majority ahmadiyya town was booked in a Police case under a much debated anti-ahmadiyya law for taking part in centenary celebrations.
But he says that these actions by the Government haven’t made him any less patriotic and he will proudly take part in this year’s Independence Day celebrations along with his grandsons.
The first foreign minister of the country Muhammad Zafrullah Khan and the the first Pakistani as well as first Muslim Nobel Laureate Dr Abdus Salam also belonged to the Ahmadiyya faith.