Pakistan’s special day joins communities in celebration

August 15, 2006

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FLAGS... Mohsin Salam, aged nine, and his cousin Maariah Nawaz, aged four, wave their flags.

THE PAKISTAN flag will be flying proudly outside the Town Hall this week in celebration of that country's independence day.

Residents joined dignitaries and politicians on Monday to watch the mayor, Councillor Jean Hornby, help raise the green and white flag.

Ghulam Shazad, chairman of the Association of Pakistani Graduates International, addressed the crowd before the national anthem of Pakistan was played.

This year is the 59th anniversary of the country being granted independence in 1947 and the flag will be flown until Sunday.

Councillor Hornby said: "We're celebrating independence day for Pakistan and it is a very special occasion.

"The Pakistani community has added to the econmic wellbeing of the town. We are looking forward, not back and we must work towards good community relations."

Mr Shazaad said: "It is a great day internationally with people celebrating all around the world.

"There is a large Pakistani community in Rochdale, about 25,000 people and it is important we work together with the community.

"They should be very proud of their heritage but they are citizens and residents in Rochdale and the country.

"The message for future generations is to be proud of their heritage, but they have to play their part in their local town and need to work with all communities."

Sarwar Nawaz, born and bred in Rochdale, joined the crowds with his four-year-old daughter Maariah.

He said: "My grandfather came to Rochdale in the 1950s and my father came to the town in the 1960s, and both worked in the cotton mills.

"There are now four generations of our family in Rochdale and we are very proud of being British Pakistanis."

A free celebration dinner was also held yesterday at Castlemere Community Centre to mark the special day.

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Col, Deepest Darkest Dale (16/08/2006 at 14:23)

"The message for future generations is to be proud of their heritage, but they have to play their part in their local town and need to work with all communities" - but whenever St George's cross (this nations flag) is flown all hell lets loose and it is deemed to be racist.

I look forward to seeing the USA stars and stripes next 4th July, the Indian flag, the Zimbabwe/Rhodesia flag etc etc etc

Sorry but this is pandering to the extreme

Henry Kelly, Ireland (Expat) (16/08/2006 at 20:52)

What a farce this is, one minority, with friends on the council, must make inhabitants of a British or English town walk under a foreign flag. Rochdale was bulit up and thrived on migrants, from my own parents to the refugees of World War 2, to the new Europeans of Eastern Europe.
What unites all Rochdalians irrespective of their culture should be the Flag of Saint George, the Union Flag, the EU banner and no other. Pakistan is a fine country and good friend of the UK, but this is not how this bond should be celebrated.

Kim, Spain (expat) (18/08/2006 at 13:48)

I'm sorry to say that I totally agree with the other comments made, I think it's an absolute farce!! Anything typically British that is celebrated is now thought of as being racist, yet now the Brits have to have putup with a foreign flag to celebrate another country's independence? Come on!

Ali Asghar, London (18/08/2006 at 14:52)

Being an ex Rochdalian of Pakistani ethinicty, I couldn't agree more with the previous two comments. Celebrating Pakistan's independence from the UK? 'big deal' it happened a long time ago, move on and accept the UK as your home. You'll never catch me waving the Pakistan flag! It's sad to see second and third generation Pakistanis waving a foreign flag in the UK. I blame the parents - bringing them up as if Pakistan is the best country in the world, far from it, i'm talking from experience having been there in 2001.
In short Pakistanis MUST intergrate more and get out of the taxi driver trade. Hope I haven't offended anyone but Rochdale Pakistanis are still living in the 'village mentality' of their forefathers who came here in the 60's.

Andy Dearden, France (19/08/2006 at 09:58)

I left Rochdale 20 years ago to work abroard and recently myself and my wife, both born in Rochdale were thinking of moving back to the town. When I read reports such as this I now know that there is no place for Myself and my family any more in Rochdale. Or to put it another way, "It has gone to the dogs".

Pete P, reading (21/08/2006 at 14:11)

I can only agree with the other comments, these people are either British or they are Pakistani or do they have dual passports. I feel very offended by people/councils flying foreign flags in this country. If these people are Pakistan nationals then I see no harm in it ,but if British then they need to move on from their past.

Mrs Kouser, Rochdale (22/08/2006 at 15:44)

personal i think Andy, Henry, Kim, Ali and Pete should GET A LIFE!!!
If pakistanis want to celebrate the independance day of pakistan then they should. even better if their flag is raised.
People like you are narrow minded, sad peoeple.

Chris, Rochdale (24/08/2006 at 16:50)

All these comments should be made in to wallpaper and put around the town hall to Remind the councillors whom they represent. All these comments come from a wide range of people and different ethnic backgrounds. This is a joke, this is the same council that tried to make taxi drivers remove union jacks from their cars in case it offended anyone even though the town hall has one on the top. I am offended that a foreign flag is flying from MY town hall. How does this promote racial integration if the council treats parts of the communities differently? Mrs Kouser you¿¿TMve got this so wrong!

M.Faisal, Bucks (29/08/2006 at 14:32)

Like it or lump it. Rochdale is a multicultural town. Accept it, wake up, smell the coffee. I am proud to be a Pakistani, I am proud to be British. Let me scream it from my rooftop should I wish to do so, let me fly any flag I wish to fly, give me my freedom of expression, give me my freedom of speech, where is the insult in this? I AM A proud British born British Pakistani. I am proud of what the Pakistani flag represents (and the British), let me celebrate. If I had to accept Christmas beacuse 'I chose to come and live here' then you too have got to compromise and let me celebrate my 'roots'. You can't take that away from me. I will do it in public and I will do it in private, why should I shy away from my 'heritage' and my 'roots' (My forefathers died in the 'war of independence') Don't deny this to me. I call myself British and I get asked 'yes, but what is your true heritage, are you from india or Pakistan?' I will NEVER get accepted as pure British simply because of the colour of my skin, so Ali Asghar I do not understand your views.
A Proud British Pakistani

Tony, Rochdale (29/08/2006 at 23:09)

If i lived abroad iwould be honoured if my native flag was flown on a given day i dont see any harm done.Rochdale councellors must go to great lengths so as not to offend the ethnic minorities -no-one wants to be accused of the R-word as this is on a par with leprosy!

Chris, Rochdale (30/08/2006 at 16:59)

M.Faisal your right. Rochdale is a multicultural town and we a lot more communities than just the Pakistani community. On your benchmark I could look forward to see Irish week, Indian week, Polish week, Czech Republic week, you know that I could go on and on but the truth is that we know that none of these are going to happen. I dont think its wrong to be proud of your roots but why does the Pakistani community need to be singled out by the council? These actions will earn the council the right tick in the right box but will not do anything to promote unity in our communities. Instead of these token gestures why not do something that would regularly bring everybody together? Things can only improve if people actually know each other.

Mrs Dale, Rochdale (04/09/2006 at 01:31)

I agree with quite a lot of comments that have been given. My father came to this Country in the 60's to work in the cotton mills. He could not speak any English but chose to learn the language through INTEGRATION. He struggled at first but he was a very proud man and ALWAYS worked and appreciated the hospitality of Rochdale people. He gradually learnt English and had a lovely family after meeting my mother. He would be so annoyed if he could witness how England is being taken for granted when it has been so good to many foreigners. My father loved England - Thats why he made it his home. My father was POLISH and he never tried to change it into Poland.

Boom Boom Afridi, Rochdale,UK (02/12/2011 at 00:46)

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