Pakistan marks 60th anniversary
Tuesday, 14 Aug 2007 09:34
Pakistan is celebrating its 60th anniversary
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Pakistan is holding a day of ceremonies to celebrate the 60th anniversary of its independence today.
The Muslim-dominated state was divided from mainly Hindu India in 1947 as the British granted independence to its former colony.
The imperial exit was traumatic, involving the transfer of ten million people across borders. Three wars in the intervening period, two over the disputed Kashmir region, reflected sub-continental tensions between the two states for much of their history apart.
But after nuclear fears were raised ten years ago relations between the two countries have mellowed. India is now concentrating on developing as an economic powerhouse while Pakistan remains preoccupied by Islamic militancy.
India will celebrate its anniversary tomorrow so attention is today focussed on Pakistan, which split with Bangladesh in 1971.
UK prime minister Gordon Brown congratulated "this great country" on its achievements, saying he hoped Pakistani "history, hopes and values" would remain "permanently intertwined" with those of Britain.
The country remains unsettled after last month's Red Mosque siege in Islamabad, in which over 100 people died, caused a series of bombings across the country.
Current president Pervez Musharraf marked the occasion by calling on his countrymen to "become the instruments of enlightened moderation" as he attempts to cope with growing pressure on his leadership.