In Photos: Pakistan Independence Day Celebrations

A man stands in front of the Pakistani national flag a day ahead of Independence Day celebrations in Karachi on August 13.

Pakistan has been rocked by significant shocks over the past year, including floods that caused more than $30 billion in damage, political instability, and record-breaking inflation amid a worsening economic situation.


 

A vendor sells Guy Fawkes masks.

Pakistan's cash-strapped economy is currently experiencing 0.29 percent growth in gross domestic product with inflation over 28 percent, down from a record high of 38 percent in previous months.

A vendor shows an ear clip of the national flag.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and opposition leader Raja Riaz agreed on August 12 to name Senator Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar as caretaker premier to oversee elections, the prime minister's office said.

Pakistanis visit a market ahead of festivities. 

The naming of a caretaker premier follows on the heels of a political crisis surrounding former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who began a three-year prison term on August 5 for "corrupt practices." Khan, who is also banned from politics, denies wrongdoing, claiming the charges against him were politically motivated.

Pakistani Rangers (in black) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) soldiers take part in the Beating the Retreat ceremony in front of a large crowd on the eve of Independence Day celebrations at the Pakistan-India Wagah border post.

During the ceremony, Indian and Pakistani troops perform theatrical rituals symbolizing the countries' rivalry after independence. The display ends with a brisk, brotherly handshake after the lowering of their national flags and the shutting of the border gates.

Following the end of the British Raj in August 1947, both Pakistan and India were proclaimed independent states. The mass migration and ethnic bloodshed that followed the partition left behind a bitter legacy.

A girl has a national flag painted on her face ahead of Independence Day celebrations in Karachi.

This year's Independence Day celebrations come as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved a $3 billion bailout program, including the immediate disbursal of about $1.2 billion to help stabilize the south Asian economy of 220 million people, the world's fifth-largest population.

People watch fireworks explode over Islamabad as part of the Independence Day celebrations on August 14.