Overview & visitor information
The most important festival of Pakistan, the National Day, stirs in every citizen’s heart a feeling of fierce patriotism and passion. It is marked with celebrations throughout the city. Typical sights include ornamentations on government buildings, functions in schools, patriotic concerts at popular youth hangouts, and silencer-less bikes speeding past you every five minutes, driven by some guy with a funky shirt, sunglasses, and a bandana made from the flag. The day begins with the national anthem being broadcast at 8:00 am live from the capital city of Islamabad. After the initial celebrations in the capital city, there is a special ceremony held at the Mazar-e-Quaid, usually presided over by the president of the country. Also present are prominent officials like the Prime Minister, provincial governor, and city mayor. There are unofficial food festivals held at the food streets in Karachi, and many popular food outlets usually come up with some ‘Azadi’ package, which offers discounts or new deals to customers. The city is decorated with buntings and flags, and once again the lights on the various government buildings throughout the city are a sight to cherish at night. A night-time visit to the KMC Building (M.A.Jinnah Road) and the Sindh Secratariat Buildings (Secratariat Road, off Frere Road) is recommended.
