News DeskABU DHABI, UAE – The Embassy of Pakistan in Abu Dhabi hosted a flag-hoisting ceremony today to commemorate the 78th anniversary of Pakistan’s Independence Day, with a large number of community members and their families attending the event.
The ceremony, imbued with national fervor, began with the flag-hoisting, followed by the reading of messages from the leadership of Pakistan.
Ambassador Faisal Niaz Tirmizi, Pakistan’s Envoy to the UAE, warmly welcomed the attendees and extended his congratulations on the auspicious occasion. In his address, he emphasized the foundational principles of Unity, Faith, and Discipline as crucial for Pakistan’s socio-economic progress and offered prayers for the peace and prosperity of the homeland.
Ambassador Tirmizi paid tribute to the nation’s strength and resilience, particularly in the face of recent external aggression, highlighting the success of Marka-e-Haq and Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos as historic milestones that demonstrated Pakistan’s unshakeable national will and professional excellence.
He called upon the Pakistani diaspora to continue their constructive role in the nation’s development, acknowledging their significant contributions to the UAE’s growth and their vital support to Pakistan’s economy through remittances, which amounted to USD 7.9 billion last year.
In a move to streamline consular services, the Ambassador announced the launch of an online passport and National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) tracking system, crediting the Mission’s IT team for their efforts. He also noted that for the first time in 20 years, two community schools had achieved a “Good” ranking, a testament to collective efforts in educational improvement. The Ambassador further shared that more Pakistani private schools have been approached to open branches in the UAE to enhance access to quality and affordable education for the community.
Expressing gratitude to the UAE government, Ambassador Tirmizi acknowledged their support in making this year’s Pakistan Independence Day celebrations unprecedented in scale. The event held on August 10 in Dubai Expo City, which saw the attendance of around 60,000 people, was described as the largest Pakistan Independence Day gathering held anywhere in the world.
As part of the celebrations, Ambassador Tirmizi unveiled portraits of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Allama Muhammad Iqbal, which were painted and gifted to the Embassy by artist Manzoor K. Hasrat. The ceremony also included patriotic performances of national songs by schoolchildren, which added to the festive spirit of the day.
