Due to ongoing renovations at the Bab-e-Azadi (Gate of Freedom), the Wagah Border will be closed to the public for this year’s Independence Day parade and flag-lowering ceremony.
In February 2024, the caretaker government of Punjab launched a project to renovate and expand the Bab-e-Azadi. As a result, this year’s Independence Day parade and flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah Border, conducted by the Pakistan Rangers Punjab, will be open only to a select group of guests.
The public has been informed of these limitations through banners posted at the site.
The renovation project includes major upgrades to the Bab-e-Azadi and its surrounding areas. The iconic gate will be redesigned to mirror the Alamgiri Gate of Lahore’s Shahi Qila, with large LCD screens added for improved parade viewing.
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The parade ground will be expanded to hold around 18,000 spectators, and the parking area will also be enlarged. Upon completion, the Bab-e-Azadi will stand approximately 120 feet tall.
Over the past 77 years, the Wagah Border has been significantly transformed from a modest checkpoint into an imposing gate-like structure. The Bab-e-Azadi now prominently displays a portrait of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah facing India, alongside walls that depict scenes from the 1947 migration.
The joint flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah Border, a tradition that began in 1959 and attracts thousands of spectators annually, will see restricted public access this year due to ongoing construction.
