Passion runs high at Wagah flag-lowering ceremony

LAHORE: Passion ran high among the masses on the eve of Independence Day as thousands gathered to witness the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border crossing on Sunday.

The chants of ‘Allahu Akbar’ echoed in the vicinity as the Rangers personnel marched on the occasion, fueling the masses with utmost sense of patriotism. The venue was overcrowded with spectators holding national flags and with badges pinned on their clothes, who repeatedly chanted Pakistan Zindabad (Long Live Pakistan).

A neatly turned-out contingent of Pakistan Rangers, when headed forth in its conventional style, to lower the national flag, the excitement rose to the peak.

The special thing about Sunday's ceremony was the presence of the students of Army Public School (APS) Peshawar. The Rangers contingent also presented a salute to the APS students.

On the occasion, DG Rangers Umar Farooq Burki shook hands with the APS students and the people who had arrived to witness the ceremony.

Lowering the national flag is a routine exercise at Wagah, but on national days it turns into a huge ceremony as thousands throng the border crossing to rekindle their love with the homeland.