Photos by Reem Saad and via Pakistan News Doha

Hundreds of residents from Qatar’s Pakistani and Indian communities gathered this week to commemorate the 70th anniversary of their independence from Britain.

An official flag-raising took place at the Indian Cultural Center in Al Maamoura at 7am this morning, followed by musical performances.

And yesterday, Pakistan’s embassy in Onaiza’s diplomatic area hosted its own independence day events, which included a flag-hoisting ceremony and speeches from local dignitaries.

The Pakistani Bikers Association also had a cake-cutting event at Ezdan Mall last night.

Independence

The national holidays in the respective countries mark the end of British rule in 1947.

While both countries gained their sovereignty on the same day (Aug. 15), it is believed that Pakistan’s independence day was brought forward to coincide with an auspicious night in Ramadan in 1948 and has remained on that day since.

Qatar is home to around 600,000 Indian nationals, the country’s largest demographic group.

And at least 115,000 residents from Pakistan work across various sectors here, though that population looks set to expand.

Last summer, Pakistan’s government said it was training some 200,000 of its people to work as blue-collar workers in Qatar in the run-up to the 2022 World Cup.

Thoughts?