In Pictures: Pakistan celebrates 70 years of independence

On Monday (Aug 14), Pakistan marked the anniversary of becoming a sovereign state after its partition from British India in 1947. Cities all over the country commemorated the day with solemn ceremonies, military pageantry, festivities and fireworks.

Updated

Published

Aug 15, 2017, 02:33 PM

A boy in Karachi is part of a group holding up a giant flag of Pakistan, as the city celebrated Independence Day. PHOTO: EPA

A man running with fireworks on a street in Islamabad, as the city readied itself to begin celebrations at midnight. PHOTO: AFP

Fireworks light up the sky at midnight in Lahore. Similar pyrotechnic displays kicked off Independence Day celebrations in many cities around the country. PHOTO: AFP

An aerobatic team performing in Pakistan's capital Islamabad. The largest-ever air show in the country's history was held there on Aug 14, with aerobatic teams from Turkey and Saudi Arabia participating along with the Pakistan Air Force. PHOTO: AFP

People cheering as Pakistan Navy pilots demonstrate their skills in an air show in Karachi. PHOTO: REUTERS

A young boy in Peshawar decked out in the colours of Pakistan's national flag. PHOTO: EPA

A rally in in the north-western city of Peshawar to mark the day Pakistan became an independent nation. PHOTO: AFP

A man getting his face painted with the national flag in Peshawar. PHOTO: EPA

Men in Peshawar get into the spirit of things with colourful masks and wigs. PHOTO: EPA

Students at a ceremony at the mausoleum of Pakistan's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah in Karachi, where politicians and military officers laid wreaths. PHOTO: AFP

A patriot to her fingertips - a girl in Karachi wearing artificial nails in the colours of the national flag. PHOTO: EPA

Pakistani Rangers (in black) and Indian Border Security Force personnel lowering their respective nations' flags at the beating of the retreat ceremony at the Wagah Border Post, the only functioning land-border crossing with India. PHOTO: AFP

Indian Border Security Force personnel in an elaborate military display at the Wagah Border Post. Freedom from British colonial rule in 1947 was accompanied by the partition of the sub-continent into India and Pakistan - an event that continues to plague ties between the two neighbours. PHOTO: AFP

Indian Border Security Force personnel at the Wagah border ceremony. The heavily choreographed ritual, a daily affair that has taken place since 1959, is symbolic of the rivalry between India and Pakistan. PHOTO: AFP

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