Will Punjab govt hoist Rs400 million flag on Independence Day?

LAHORE: Punjab’s Caretaker Minister for Information and Local Government Amir Mir has refuted the news reports that said the Punjab government is planning to host a flag worth Rs400 million on Independence Day.

Mir, while speaking to Urdu News, asserted that the initial spreader of this news undoubtedly misinterpreted the facts and might have confused Rs40,000 or Rs40 million with Rs400 million.

Amir Mir further said: “The Punjab government is doing the same things on this Independence Day as they have always been doning at the state level.”

When specifically pressed about the giant flag, he said: “Ask those who are hoisting this flag, the Punjab government is not putting this.”

He further stated, “Only a madman would spend Rs400 million on a single flag.”

However, confusion surrounding the giant flag still persist as an official of the Lahore’s district government said that the 500-feet flag will be raised at the Liberty Chowk.

He said that the funds for the project have already been allocated, and all the expenses will be borne by the district government.

Read more: Punjab govt gets notice over Rs400m flag project

Earlier, the Lahore High Court (LHC) asked the Punjab government to explain why it was spending Rs400 million on making a giant flag to mark Independence Day on August 14.

The LHC issued a notice to the caretaker government on Tuesday, on a petition filed by Aamir Sikander, a citizen who has challenged the legality and rationality of the expenditure.

The petitioner’s lawyer, said that Pakistan was facing a financial crisis and could not afford to waste public funds on such a lavish display of patriotism.

“Pakistan is currently facing a financial crisis, and the economic situation of the country is not stable,” he said.