Afghanistan celebrates 96th Independence Day

The 96th Afghan Independence Day from Britain in 1919 was celebrated with great festivity at Afghanistan’s defense ministry by President Ashraf Ghani and the Chief of Executive Officer CEO, Abdullah Abdullah on Wednesday 19 August 2015.

A number of senior Afghan officials and political figures attended the anniversary which was held under tightened security.

In the meantime, the 96th Afghan Independence Day was also celebrated in several provinces of Afghanistan to commemorate the recognition by the United Kingdom of Afghanistan’s independence in August 1919.

The Day was also marked with series of events in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of northern Balkh province.

Afghan people emphasized that the Independence Day has a clear message to all Afghans to stand beside each other; urging the Taliban to end the current war.

Often described as a landlocked country, Afghanistan is situated in midst of Central and Southern Asia. This historic land of Afghans has been the melting pot of Eastern and Western cultures.

Being a war-torn country, the independence day of Afghanistan has lost much of its sheer and elegance in the due course of time.

Afghanistan has long being inflicted with terrorist attacks, insurgency and even prone to natural calamities which has terribly affected the social and cultural growth of the country.

Celebration of Independence Day in Afghanistan takes place on 19th August. Since the ancient times, the land has been invaded by numerous rulers including Alexander the great, Mongol rulers and Turkish Empire.

However, Ahmad Shah Durrani in the eighteenth century annexed many of the neighboring territories and made Kandahar its capital. After the end of the third Anglo-Afghan war, Afghanistan achieved full independence from the reigns of British Empire on August 19 1919.

The significance of Independence Day in Afghanistan lies in the fact that the day embodies the rich historical and cultural aspect of the country.

The Afghan people have been widely known for their love of poetry and classic art and painting well displayed through many of its monumental landmarks and heritage sites.

During the two decades of Civil War and extremist terrorism the wide infrastructure of the country has suffered a lot, hence the present government is trying to develop that areas system which is definitely going to bring a rapid phase of development in the country.