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PESHAWAR, Aug 12 (APP):As August 14 approaches, the ancient city of Peshawar seems to wake up in green and white decorated houses, bazaars and vehicles with colourful buntings and national flags hoisting everywhere in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Flags flutter from rooftops, buntings cross every busy bazaar, and the hum of printing and advertising presses echoes through narrow alleys of the historic Mohalla Jhangi at Qisakhwani bazaar.
The Independence Day of Pakistan is a celebration of freedom for many but for printers like Suliman Shah it’s also a chance for trade and economic prosperity.
Inside a small office nestled in Peshawar Plaza near Qissa Khwani Bazaar, Suliman, 43, hunches over his computer, eyes fixed on a flag design which is being printed and dispatched by the nightfall. On the corner of his desk sits a cold plate of Chapli Kabab and an untouched cup of Peshawari Kahwa, long forgotten in the rush of heavy printing and advertising work.
“This is our busiest business season as response of people in independance day celebrations are overwhelming in KP,” Suliman says with a tired but contented smile. “Jashn-e-Azadi brings life not just to the city, but to our business. It puts food on thousands of tables.”
A post graduate from the University of Peshawar, Suliman now runs a modest printing and advertising business inherited from his father. Like many others in the trade, he’s hired extra labour to keep up with the overwhelming number of orders from schools, NGOs, private firms, and government departments. Posters, badges, flags, pamphlets, stickers everything is in demand.
With nearly 3,000 years of documented history, Peshawar has seen many seasons of change. But during Independence Day week, the city takes on a unique festive atmosphere. From Karkhano Market to Liaqat Bazaar and Hashtnagri to Qisakhwani, every storefront is draped in green and white.
Shops overflow with flags, decorative lights, paper models of Minar-e-Pakistan, and portraits of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal.
“This is the best time of year,” says Faraz Khan, a vendor who traveled from Nowshera with a truck full of toys, horns, masks, and hats.
“I sold out everything in days. My father has gone to Lahore to bring more stock. Last year I made a profit of Rs200,000. This year I am already beyond Rs300,000.”
At Qasiakhwani Bazaar, 13-year-old Malaika Khan from Nowshera stands patiently as an artist paints a green crescent and star on her cheek.
“I want to look special on Independence Day,” she says proudly. “I havebought 700 badges, stickers and posters for my friends and cousins. We’ll all wear green and white in functions.”
Her excitement reflects a larger national sentiment. Independence Day is no longer just about ceremonies rather about expression, pride, identity, and unity while for the printing and advertising industry, it’s about opportunity.
According to Zafar Khan Khattak, President of the All Printers and Publishers Association KP, nearly 50,000 people in the province are directly or indirectly linked to the printing and advertising industry, including 4,000 printers and graphic designers in Peshawar alone.
“This year’s demand has broken all previous records,” he says. “Some printers and advertisers received orders worth Rs 10 million. The response from the merged tribal districts like Waziristan, Kurram, Orakzai, and Bajaur was extraordinary.”
He adds that while the business is booming now, challenges remain especially after the closure of paper mills in Charsadda and Mardan, which forced printers of KP to rely on costly imports from Punjab.
“Prices are going up due to transportation and electricity. But this season gives us hope. It’s a reminder that our work matters. Our designs become part of the national celebration.”
Zafar Khattak believes that projects like the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Rashakai, under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), could transform the industry.
“If printing and paper units are included in SEZs, it will revolutionize our sector. We need infrastructure, government support, and affordable raw materials. That’s how we can grow beyond just one season.”
Until then, the printers, vendors, designers, advertisers and children of Peshawar continue to celebrate Independence Day with unmatched enthusiasm and entrepreneurial spirit.
Back in Mohalla Jhangi, Suilman finally looks away from his screen, stretches his arms, and smiles. The next batch of flags is ready for Jashn-e-Azadi celebrations broke out in KP.
“We may not be marching on parade grounds or police bands on flag hoisting ceremony,” he says, “but every flag we print helps someone raise their head higher of living with freedom.”