KABUL - President Ashraf Ghani on Saturday placed a bouquet at the Freedom Monument in Kabul to mark 98th anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence.
A smartly turned-out Ministry of Defence guard played the national anthem as part of the short ceremony. Later on, Ghani returned to the Presidential Palace. 
August 19 commemorates the signing of the 1919 Treaty of Rawalpindi, which granted Afghanistan full independence from Britain. The country was never part of the British Raj
Cabinet members and other government officials attended the ceremony. The president is schedule to give a news briefing at his office.
Portraits of Ghazi Amanullah Khan, Ashraf Ghani, his predecessor Hamid Karzai, Ahmad Shah Baba, King Zahir Shah, Mirwais Nika, Prof. Burhanuddin Rabbani, Ahmad Shah Massoud and others had been displayed in the area. 
Congratulating the nation on its Independence Day, IDLG has asked provincial governors, mayors and district chiefs to celebrate the occasion by holding special ceremonies.
Civil society activists, media representative and the general public were urged to participate in the day’s celebrations to promote unity against terrorists and voice support for the government and the security forces. (Pajhwok)