Abu Dhabi: Pakistan Independence Day was a low-key affair in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. Growing concern over the millions of flood victims back home lent a sombre air to the expatriate celebrations.
Khursheed Ahmad Junejo, the Pakistani Ambassador to the UAE, hoisted the national flag at a ceremony at the Pakistani Embassy on Saturday morning.
Addressing community members, he expressed gratitude to the UAE rulers for the generous help given to the victims of the flood Pakistan, which has displaced millions of its citizens, damaged its economy and undermined its political stability.
Exclusive Gulf News pictures of life in flood-hit Pakistan
Afterwards he met with community members to discuss ways of raising money for the flood relief fund.
Meanwhile in Pakistan, the usually festive Independence Day celebrations were this year toned down, as was fitting given the circumstances.
Officials cancelled the ceremony and fireworks display normally held at midnight on August 14, the anniversary of Pakistan's creation and independence from Britain in 1947.
However, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani participated in a flag-raising ceremony in the morning, while TV channels broadcast stories about the South Asian country's early years.
Government leaders were expected to spend much of the day visiting flood victims, amid warning that more rains may be on the way, threatening cities and towns along the main rivers.
The UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon is also expected to visit sometime soon, possibly over the weekend.
The floods have disrupted the lives of 14 million people - eight per cent of the population.
Triggered by unusually heavy monsoon rains, they have torn through the country from its mountainous northwest, destroying hundreds of thousands of homes.
In southern Pakistan, the River Indus is now more than 25 kilometres wide at some points or 25 times wider than usual during normal monsoon seasons.
Many flood victims are living in muddy camps or overcrowded government buildings, while thousands more are sleeping in the open, next to their farm animals and whatever possessions they have managed to take with them.
The United Nations has appealed for $460 million (Dh1,689.29 million) to help Pakistan get immediate relief, but officials have said the country will need billions to rebuild after the waters recede.
As President Barack Obama congratulated Pakistan on its Independence Day, which also marked the Muslim-majority nation's separation from India, he insisted the US would not abandon the country in its time of need.
"We will remain committed to helping Pakistan and will work side by side with you and the international community, toward a recovery that brings back the dynamic vitality of your nation," he said in a statement.
How did you mark the country's Independence Day? Have you contributed to the flood relief efforts for Pakistan?
