'I clearly remember the celebrations on August 14, 1947'

After the partition, many made it to the newly formed Pakistan and on August 14th, Pakistan celebrated its Independence day.

Miraj Mohammad Khan was 9 years old when he saw the joy, festivities and celebrations on Pakistan's first Independence day.

Recalls Khan, "People were celebrating and congratulating everyone on the streets; they were distributing sweets to everybody. My sister and all my siblings present there at that time were very happy."

He added, "People on the streets were shouting slogans of Swaraj—they were shouting slogans of Swaraj from their buildings."

Reminscing about the celebrations, he said, "It was an unusual environment. I don't know about people's perception today, but this is how I clearly remember it."

This article is part of a week-long series on achieving independence and the early years of Pakistan, run collaboratively by Images and The Citizens Archive of Pakistan (CAP).

CAP is a non-profit organization dedicated to cultural and historic preservation. It seeks to educate the community, foster an awareness of our nation’s history and instill pride in Pakistani citizens about their heritage.