Hundreds celebrate 70th Independence Day of Pakistan with flag raising and Mayor's Charity Dinner

The cake-cutting ceremony in the Town Hall after the Pakistani flag was raised

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Hundreds turned out to celebrate the annual Pakistani flag raising ceremony at Rochdale Town Hall on Monday (14 August) to celebrate the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan.

The day commemorates the declaration of Pakistan as a sovereign nation following the end of the British Raj in 1947 and is a national holiday in Pakistan.

Rochdale welcomed the Consul General of Pakistan, Dr Zahoor Ahmed, who was joined by the Mayor and Mayoress, Ian and Christine Duckworth, MP Tony Lloyd, Leader of the Council, Richard Farnell, and local councillors and dignitaries.

It was a grand ceremony with over 300 people, including children and families, attending the official flag hoisting which took place at 10am.

A minute’s silence was held to remember the sacrifices of the partition and the recent terror attacks in both Manchester and London.

Both the UK and Pakistani national anthems were sung followed by a cake-cutting ceremony in the Town Hall with Mayor Ian Duckworth, Deputy Mayor Mohammed Zaman, Councillor Richard Farnell and MP Tony Lloyd.

Guests were treated to a piece of the 40-inch cake depicting the Pakistani flag, along with refreshments.

The ceremony was organised by the Pakistani and Kashmiri Community Association (PKCA) with a Family Fun day at the town hall with fun fair rides, stalls, henna painting and Asian food. They were supported by Rochdale Council of Mosques, Kashmiri Youth Project, Worldwide Cash and Carry, Haji Cash and Carry, Arif Groceries, and Castlemere, Deeplish and Sudden and Brimrod Community Centres.

PKCA Chairperson, Mudassir Yasin, said: “We wanted to celebrate this landmark year of Pakistan’s Independence with everyone in Rochdale, and to share our history, culture and solidarity with the local Pakistani and the wider community – I believe the diversity we have in our town is our strength and resilience.”

Deputy Mayor Zaman said: ‘It is important we keep the Pakistani heritage alive for future generations. Pakistan is a very diverse country with so much richness in its people, languages, religions, food and cultures. The evening celebrations highlighted this through the speeches, the music and the wonderful food – the organisers did a magnificent job.”

Councillor Aasim Rashid said: “We are proud British Pakistani living in Rochdale. We are celebrating Pakistan Independence Day where a lot of members of other communities are participating with Pakistani community is a sign of healthy community integration and cohesion. No negative forces can divide us. We are a tolerant society where everyone respects each other, regardless of their ethnicity, creed and religion.

"Independence Day dinner at Rochdale Town hall was an example of unity of all communities.”

Celebrations continued with the Mayor’s Charity Dinner in the Grand Hall of the Town Hall.

Before the evening proceedings started, Sara Mudassir recited verses from the Holy Qu’ran, followed by Islamic hymns read by Afzal Naqshbandi and Jamal Naseer.

Distinguished guests were welcomed by Shahid Sardar, host for the evening, who said: “This day is celebrated to show our solidarity to Pakistan and to pay our respect and gratitude to those who sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Pakistan.”

He added: “Our resilience, as Rochdalians has also been tested but we always overcome the negativity with the good things that Rochdale Council and the Police are doing to make our town stronger, safer, more inclusive, more tolerant and a better place to live and to raise our children in ‘

Mr Sardar was joined by Urdu-speaking co-host Heena Jabeen.

Speeches were read by Deputy Mayor Zaman, who gave the context and history of Pakistan’s inception, Robina Malik, who spoke about the significant role of women in the movement of Pakistan, Aiza Rashid, who talked about the beauty of Pakistan, Councillor Richard Farnell, Chief Superintendent Neil Evans, MP Tony Lloyd, and Dr Abdul Shakoor, who read Urdu poetry.

Rising star Usman Farooqi, a Manchester based singer/guitarist who won a Bollywood Talent competition last year, wowed the audience with his amazing voice, performing renditions of Pakistani and patriotic songs. He was joined for the national anthem by another talented local, violinist Afia Saeed.

After a vote of thanks to all supporters, sponsors and guests, Councillor Aasim Rashid presented a shield to the Consul General of Pakistan, Dr Zahoor Ahmed, whose term as Consul General is ending.

Councillor Rashid paid tribute to the diplomatic work Dr Zahoor has done in serving the Pakistan community during his tenure and wished him well in his future endeavours.

All funds raised from the dinner, raffle and prize draws will be donated to the Mayor’s charities: Springhill Hospice, Rochdale Connections Trust, Rochdale Shopmobility, Cancer Research and Rochdale Heartbeat.