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Pak Independence Day celebrations disrupted

DUBAI — The Pakistan Independence Day celebrations at the Pakistan Sports and Recreation Club ended rather abruptly around midnight on Monday.

The celebrations were suddenly disrupted as a special squad of the Dubai Police arrived on the scene following some public disturbances in the vicinity.

According to eye witnesses, while the programme was progressing inside the club premises, some youths were driving around the area waving Pakistani national flags, raising patriotic slogans and blaring loud songs and music from their car stereos. Several streets, as a result of this revelry, became heavily congested blocking the regular traffic flow in the area.

The police dispersed the revellers. They then entered the club and after asking the organisers to stop the celebratory programme also told the audience, which included men, women and children, to vacate the club premises immediately.

The programme, which was free for the public, included speeches, quiz competition, national songs by local artistes and presentation of awards to volunteers of the earthquake relief camp and trophies to toppers of Grade 10 and 12 of Pakistani schools in the UAE. The programme was attended by Pakistan Consul-General in Dubai, Abdul Hameed, the chief guest, and other officials of the consulate. The consul-general, however, had left the premises before the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, neither the officials of the Pakistan Association Dubai nor the organisers of the programme offered any official comment on the incident.

A Pakistan Consulate official said that the unfortunate incident was due to some misunderstanding which was cleared later and the programme was permitted to continue. But, by then, the people had already started leaving.

• UAE