Afghanistan celebrates 98 years of independence

Thousands of young Afghan men, wearing traditional dresses and holding the tri-color national flag, flocked at a park in the capital Kabul to mark the country’s 98th Independence Day anniversary Saturday.

A rare wave of jubilation swept the war-torn country with a renewed sense of patriotism.

All main roads, public and private buildings, parks and cars in major urban centers including Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad, Khost and other cities were decorated with the national flag and posters of former King Amanullah Khan, who was at the helm of affairs when Afghanistan declared independence from the British influence over its foreign policy in 1919.

In the capital Kabul, the newly inaugurated Zazai hill park was one of the main attractions for those wishing to mark the day in public with others.

Ali Katawazay, a high school student, was among them. “I came here last night, and would stay here till late night today as well. Look at the people everyone is so happy and cheered up! I wish the war ends and we witness such days more often,” he told Anadolu Agency in a single breath as he took a break from the traditional Attan Dance.

The road leading to the park was packed with street vendors offering different sizes of flags, armbands, face masks and decoration items for cars.

“It feels like Eid [Muslim holy festival], everyone is in good mood and in the mood to buy,” said Attaullah, a young road-side vendor.

The youths have been particularly active, coming out to the streets for celebration.

Less than 200 miles from Kabul, the city of Jalalabad, capital of Nangarhar province, also had many attractions for those going on a two-hour long drive eastwards.

Jalalabad is the final resting place of King Khan. Thousands of dedicated Afghans paid homage to the late king, who spearheaded an unlikely drive for modernization of the country in the 20th century, but faced an uprising from the prevalent conservative forces.

- High alert in Kabul

Jalalabad youths gathered at the Gul Agha Sherzai stadium in the downtown area under tight security. Units of the Afghan Air Force (AAF) dropped leaflets from the air among the cheering crowd.

Sportsmen from various disciplines showcased their talents at the public event in the stadium. Members of the Sikh religious minority also participated in the festivities by performing their traditional Chob Jangi dance.

Gulab Mangal, governor of Nangarhar province, has promised to renovate the King Amanullah Khan shrine and adjacent historical places.

Security was also on high alert in capital Kabul. The Kabul Garirson put in place additional staff and extra checkposts.

Afghans living abroad joined the celebrations on social media.

Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, who is a diehard admirer of Khan, led the main ceremony at the Ministry of Defense in Kabul.

He laid a floral wreath at the Liberty Memorial and paid homage to the martyrs who sacrificed their lives to earn independence.

Later, Ghani flew to Herat where he inaugurated a new cotton processing factory. “The country still needs political and economic independence,” he said.

“Our aim is to turn Herat into a hub for our economic growth and regional transit trade. Herat would link Iran, China and Central Asia. We would soon launch the railway line here,” he added.

On Ghani’s directives, work is underway to restore the iconic Dar-ul-Aman Palace in Kabul, which was first commissioned by Khan in 1920s as part of his modernization drive.

Originally designed by French and German architects, the renovated palace is scheduled to be completed for the 100th anniversary of Independence Day on Aug. 19, 2019.