
CII prescribes Sadqa-e-Fitr, Fidya rates
Sadqa-e-Fitr is obligatory for every Muslim, slave or free, male or female, young or old, who possesses the means, Dr Naeemi said. He announced that the minimum amount for Sadqa-e-Fitr and Fidya per person was Rs220 this year.
According to the announcement the rates could vary based on different commodities.
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Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Forgotten heroes of the partition
Independence was truly understood by those who paid the cost of freedom and lost their closest family members. They knew that liberty demands sacrifice, and the value of being free is best known to those who shed their blood for their homeland. The story of how Pakistan came into being in 1947 is remembered most vividly by those who lived through those difficult times. The trauma of the partition lives on in the childhood memories of Dr Khawaja Ahmed Abbas, a living legend, an eyewitness and a migrant of 1947. In his book titled Living in Clouds, he recounts the anguish of those times and the hardships witnessed during the post-partition period. The partition displaced 12 to 20 million people, forcing them to leave ancestral lands where they had lived for generations. This migration left deep scars and painful memories tied forever to the soil of their origins. "A beam of morning sunlight coming through a small hole in a broken window was shining on my face. I woke up startled and was surprised to find myself in a lll-class compartment of a passenger train. 'What is this place?' I murmured to myself, still sleepy. 'Where are we? Why are we not in our house?' The compartment was crowded with a lot of other people. I shouted for my mother: 'Amma! Amma!' It took a few moments to realize where I was. 'Don't worry, Baacho. We are going to Pakistan. We have been asked to board this train, which is going to take us there. It's going to be a few days' journey.' People in the compartment were still asleep or trying to wake up - perhaps the time was too hectic. There were six families of ours, a total of 30 people. But our father was not in this crowd, and we had no idea about his whereabouts, or indeed if he was alive or dead! "Leaving home was traumatic, almost like a rupture. Sadness was writ large on every face. Yet, there was some satisfaction that our lives were going to be safe after this journey. But questions still remained: What was our final destination going to be? What kind of place would that be? Nobody knew..." Young Muslim girls were instructed to kill themselves by jumping into a well if Hindus attacked. Life during the post-partition period was uncertain and fraught with danger. These were the difficult days witnessed during the partition by Dr KA Abbas, who was born in Sonepat and spent his early childhood there until the age of 10. Those were the days when British rule had just ended, and India and Pakistan emerged on the map on the 14th and 15th of August, respectively. Muslims were to depart for Pakistan and Hindus for India. Abbas's journey began at the age of 10, following the painful migration, and he reached Pakistan after a couple of days. However, the partition was painful, and I think of all those who were part of that "train to Pakistan". They might have carried similar memories of the life they left behind in India, such as attending school, offering prayers in mosques or worshipping in mandirs, and playing in the streets that must still echo with their soft voices and laughter. The tragic reality of mass destruction, mass murder and inhumane treatment suffered by those migrants cannot be forgotten. More than one million people were killed during this migration, and many others, including women, men and children, were injured. It was not a comfortable journey but a cramped and desperate one, undertaken out of compulsion to relocate to the other part of the subcontinent. We have a solemn duty to honour the migrants of 1947. Both the living and the departed deserve state-level recognition as a source of national pride. They left behind all their belongings, sacrificed their lives and helped make this nation free and peaceful. They were the ones who truly knew the cost of freedom and independence.


Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Free plants handed out for Independence Day
The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) has launched a citywide free plant distribution campaign as part of Independence Day and Marka-e-Haq celebrations. Citizens received free plants at Liberty Chowk and Jail Road, while bicycle carts and mobile camps are delivering plants to various locations across Lahore. PHA Director General Mansoor Ahmad said the initiative aims to promote environmental awareness alongside the spirit of Independence Day. "This drive highlights the importance of tree plantation and encourages citizens to contribute to building a green Pakistan," he added. The distribution will continue until Thursday evening. In addition, the city has been decorated for the occasion and major roads are illuminated with green and white lights. Electric lighting adorns all underpasses and decorated floats featuring national images are moving through city streets. A painting competition for young artists will also be organised at the National History Museum.


Express Tribune
09-08-2025
- Express Tribune
Country lights up for Jashn-e-Azadi
Cities across the country are adorned in festive and colourful lights as Independence Day approaches. Photo: Express As Pakistan's 78th Independence Day approaches, a wave of green and white is sweeping across the country, exuding patriotic fervour, emotional pride, and historical remembrance. While national flag flutters proudly atop homes, private and official buildings ahead of Independence Day celebrations, the bazaars and streets are alive with green and white colour and joy. More so, the celebrations depict a sense of belonging of being part of a great story that began with struggle and sacrifice during the Pakistan movement that continues with hope and resilience. In remote areas like erstwhile Fata, including Waziristan, Orakzai, Kurram, Khyber, Mohmand and Bajaur, the same spirit persists. "I have purchased 500 green badges and stickers for my family and relatives as part of Jashin-e-Azadi celebrations. It's our way of showing immeasurable love for Pakistan," said Asghar Afridi, a journalist from Bara, Khyber district in Peshawar said. With his young son helping decorate the family car at the bustling Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Afridi's joy was full of national enthusiasm. "This is our family tradition we have followed since creation of Pakistan and now I am passing it on to the next generation with immense pride," reiterates Afridi. From Landi Kotal to Torkham and Jamrud to Shalman valley, all bazaars, markets and streets in Khyber district are adorned with colourful bunting and lights. Irrespective of caste and colours, tribal youth, children, and elders alike can be seen donning green-and-white outfits, echoing a common sentiment such as this is our celebration and our tribute to the great nation and Quaid e Azam that gave us an identity and freedom on August 14, 1947. "Pakistan was not gifted to us rather it was earned through blood and sacrifices," said Shah Jee Gul Afridi, former MNA and a respected elder of the Afridi tribe, while talking to APP. "We are honouring those sacrifices by celebrating Jashn-e-Azadi with full zeal and patriotism." The connection of the tribal people with the creation of Pakistan is not just emotional but historical. In 1948, just months after the country's independence, Founder of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah visited Peshawar where he addressed a grand tribal jirga at the Governor House here. There, in the heart of K-P, he acknowledged the loyalty and sacrifices of the tribesmen calling them a "frontline force" of the Pakistan Movement. "The great Quaid had deep respect for the tribes' patriotism and their love for Islam and Pakistan," said Prof Dr AH Hilali, former Chairman of the Political Science Department at the University of Peshawar. "He emphasised education and development as keys to their future and today, those words still resonate." Quaid's love for education led him to promise a university for the region, a vision fulfilled with the establishment of the University of Peshawar near the historic Islamia College - another site he visited three times and highly praised its students' role during the Pakistan Movement." The scenes playing out in these tribal regions today reflect a deeper narrative not just of celebration, but for peace and development. "We see lights, we see national flags, but we also see a determination among our youth to build a better and prosperous future for their country," said Afridi. "My son is already asking questions about the Pakistan Movement, Sir Syed Ahmad Khan, Dr Alama Iqbal, Quaid-e-Azam and what independence means. That's where the real celebration begins, creating awareness and education of young minds about Pakistan." In an area long known more for security and economic challenges than festivity, this great transformation speaks volumes of tribesmen's love for their country. Where once silence loomed, now laughter, joy and music echo through narrow alleys and open bazaars. The tribal belt, once on the margins of national attention, is today stepping forward, waving the national flag not just as a symbol of statehood, but as a badge of honour and prestige. As the clock ticks closer to August 14, the message from people of erstwhile FATA is clear that "We are Pakistan, and Pakistan is us."