Marking 75 years of independence
Members of Slough’s Pakistani community celebrated the country’s 75 years of independence during a special community event.
Pakistan became established on August 14, 1947, following the partition of British India into two independent nations, India and Pakistan.
On Sunday, Slough’s Pakistan Welfare Association (PWA) held celebrations at its home in Darvill’s Lane, Chalvey.
Community members hoisted the flag of Pakistan into the air before guests did a rendition of the country’s national anthem.
The event also saw attendees dress in traditional outfits and enjoy music, food and refreshments.
Shaida Akbar, from the PWA, said: “We had people coming from as far as High Wycombe, Maidenhead and Amersham and it was great to see people coming to Slough to celebrate Pakistan’s independence.”
The PWA is one of Slough’s longest-serving community organisations and has been operating in the town since 1962.
It aims to bring Slough’s different communities together and represents an estimated 45,000 people living in the area.
Shaida, who also serves as a councillor at Slough Borough Council, told the Express she was pleased to see more women and girls attending Sunday’s celebrations.
She added: “For our 70th celebrations we only had a small number of women so it was awesome to see so many people taking part.
“It was heart-warming to see women taking the lead rather than staying at home and doing nothing.”
The event was sponsored by the Bridging Gap Foster Agency, Comfort Care, Checkout Superstore and Mithaa.
Visit pwasloughberks. org.uk for further details on the Pakistan Welfare Association.