When British rulers divided the subcontinent into two nations, it prompted the greatest mass migration of people in history and unleashed a wave of violence that claimed more than a million lives.
From the elderly survivors who endured the violent aftermath of the partition to the military commanders and angry nationalists whose hostility shows little sign of fading, these images powerfully depict how the legacy of partition continues to shape India and Pakistan today.
Pakistan kicked off a day of celebrations on Monday 15/8 marking 70 years of statehood and independence, the festivities beginning with gun salutes in the capital, Islamabad, and in each of the four provincial capitals.
In Karachi, visitors paid respects at the mausoleum of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of the country.
The Pakistan Air Force put on a spectacular air show, with Pakistani, Turkish and Saudi fighter jets flying over Islamabad as thousands of spectators watched from one of the city’s parks.
Source: Seventy years of India-Pakistan partition in pictures
Pakistan celebrates 70th Independence Day
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