LAHORE: Housing Secretary Noor-ul-Amin Mengal has directed every horticulture agency in the province to organise special events and activities so that Independence Day is marked with full national spirit, in line with the Punjab chief minister’s vision.

Government buildings, parks and prominent city landmarks are to be decorated with national flags, green-and-white illumination and full seasonal ornamentation, he said. The August 14 programmes themselves should foreground the themes of national spirit, unity, peace, cohesion and patriotism.

Mengal instructed that parks and recreational sites host Independence Day activities designed to draw large public participation. Alongside that, agencies must make special arrangements for cleanliness, landscaping and civic facilities at those venues — a practical instruction aimed at avoiding the strain that big crowds usually put on park infrastructure.

He also asked all horticulture agencies to ensure effective media and social media coverage of the activities, so that the message of national unity, love for Pakistan and the meaning of independence reaches the widest possible audience.

The events, he said, should be staged with the dignity the occasion deserves, becoming a full expression of affection for Pakistan, national unity and attachment to the homeland. For Lahore residents, the practical upshot is a heavily decorated city core and a programme of public activities in parks through the long weekend.