Brooklyn (GNP): Thousands of Pakistani Americans packed Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn on Sunday as the Allama Iqbal Community Center held its 26th annual Independence Day festival, marking Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day. The festival drew New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, whose presence added to the scale of the day’s celebrations. Families, young people, women, and children turned out in large numbers for the celebration, with many participants dressed in green and white outfits echoing the national flag.
The crowd waved flags and danced to bhangra drumbeats as food, clothing and jewelry stalls lined the avenue throughout the day. The event drew New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, who received an enthusiastic welcome from attendees. Community center chairman Malik Nasir Awan and youth wing director Hassan Nasir Awan greeted the mayor on his arrival.
In brief remarks, Mamdani said he was glad to attend and credited the city’s strength to the unity of its many communities. He later said he had gathered with residents at the community center’s Mela to commemorate Pakistan’s Independence Day and to honor the contributions Pakistani New Yorkers have made to the city, adding that the community’s open arms, determination and dreams for a better life have helped shape the city they now call home. Commissioner of Community Affairs Faiza Ali described the festival as a bridge between cultures.
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and Deputy Public Advocate Kashif Hussain also addressed the crowd, framing their office’s work as a voice for public concerns even in difficult times. The celebration doubled as a show of civic pride for Pakistani American law enforcement, with several New York Police Department officers of Pakistani descent attending the festival.
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Muslim Officers Society President and Deputy Inspector Wahid Akhtar, along with police representative Captain Ehtesham, encouraged young community members to consider careers with the New York Police Department, saying the community’s unity gives officers added strength. Community center leaders Malik Nasir Awan and Tahir Bhatta said the growing number of Pakistani-origin officers on the force remains a point of pride for the community.
Music was also central to the day’s programme. Pakistani singer Rahim Shah travelled from Pakistan specifically for the event and performed for the crowd, alongside local artists who also took the stage. Organizers hoisted the American flag alongside Pakistan’s flag as part of the festivities. The event closed with organizers honoring the volunteers and staff of the Allama Iqbal Community Center with certificates of appreciation for their work in putting the festival together.
The Brooklyn gathering was one of several Pakistani Independence Day events held across New York this month, forming part of a wider tradition of South Asian community celebrations centered around Coney Island Avenue, long regarded as a hub for the city’s Pakistani diaspora.
