In 1947, Pakistan became the world’s first Islamic republic when it gained independence from the United Kingdom. The day begins with a thirty-one-gun salute in the federal capital, and twenty-one-gun salutes in the provincial capitals. At 9.59 am in Islamabad a siren will sound, and a one-minute silence will ensue, where even the traffic will stop. Before addressing the nation, the President will raise the national flag.