KARACHI: Tonnes of fireworks were set off in different cities of Pakistan as the clock struck midnight to welcome new year of 2018.
People in all major cities of the country prayed that 2018 will usher the country into a new era of prosperity and peace.
Security measures were ramped up as a large number of revellers took to streets to celebrate this occasion.
As the clock ticks to 12, #Pakistan wishes a joyful,prosperous and a Happy New Year.
2⃣0⃣1⃣8⃣#HappyNewYear2018#NewYear2018 #NewYear #NewYearCelebrations #NewYearEve
💥🎊🎉 pic.twitter.com/VxpOGGMIP0— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) December 31, 2017
In a surprise move for the residents of the biggest city of the country, the Sindh government has opened all the recreational spots including sea view and has requested people to avoid making traffic congestion by parking vehicles at ‘no parking’ places.
Aerial firing has been banned to avoid casualties and heavy deployment of police and other law enforcement agencies has been ensured to impose this ban in Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta and Rawalpindi.
Ufff shadeed lit scenes in Bahria Town Lahore #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/nYB8fScWzC
— Hema, Rekha, Jaya aur sushma (@Fay_Alif) December 31, 2017
Karachi skies lit up with lots and lots of fireworks this new year 2018. From Sea View, Bahadurabad, N Nazimabad, Gulshan e Iqbal, to Bahria Town.
May we all have a blessed peaceful new year. pic.twitter.com/IIovcyZWb3— Rumaisa Mohani (@RumaisaMohani) December 31, 2017
Bahria Town in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad saw the country’s best fireworks with dancing fountains.
Speaker National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, in his felicitation message to the nation on the eve of New Year, expressed the hope that the dawn of 2018 will bear witness to our efforts as a nation for consolidating our march towards peace and prosperity.
Whatsapp was down in different parts of the world amid New Year celebrations
Moving from Whatsapp to Telegram pic.twitter.com/Tt2cVd2rlF
— BILLION (@BillionTwiTs) December 31, 2017
Even Whatsapp cant be arsed to transition gracefully into 2018 #WhatsappDown pic.twitter.com/PRoWj9mv0M
— Abbi Keagle (@abbikeag) December 31, 2017
#WhatsAppDown
This is how #WhatsApp entered into 2018. 😜😂#WhatsAppDown pic.twitter.com/0Jsb2EXQNl— Sailaja Reddy Alludu (@Chaitu_Bhaktudu) December 31, 2017
Thank God whatsapp is down, I don’t have to reply those long AF happy new year texts after not reading them.
— Ayodele (@dhe_Mechanic) December 31, 2017
Everyone on twiter: Whatsapp down!
Me: pic.twitter.com/Y3tW2hjRR3— нαℓℓυмι ❤ (@be__you_tea_ful) December 31, 2017
After whatsapp down, petrol prices raised by almost 4 rupees. Done with 2018.
— Waleed Nasir (@waleednasir00) December 31, 2017
Here’s how the world welcomed new year!
Samoa, the tiny pacific island was the first country to welcome in 2018, with New Zealand following an hour later.
Auckland’s Sky Tower cascaded with fireworks as the clock struck 12:00am.
Meanwhile, Australians are welcoming 2018 with a rainbow-themed fireworks in Sydney.
About 1.6 million people are attending to attend the fireworks around the edge of Sydney Harbour.
Over 24 hours, cities across the world will gradually sign off 2017 and welcome the New Year, starting in the Pacific, heading across Asia, then Europe and finally the Americas.
Bells will be rung and prayers offered at temples in Beijing, but the Gregorian calendar’s New Year’s celebrations are typically muted in China compared to the Lunar New Year, or Spring Festival.
In the Philippines, hours before midnight, authorities had already reported that at least 86 people had been injured by celebratory firecrackers which have some of the most raucous New Year’s celebrations in Asia.
Many Filipinos believe that noisy New Year’s celebrations drive away evil and misfortune.
Security measures are ramped up across Turkey, which was hit by a New Year’s attack a year ago that killed dozens in Istanbul.
A large number of people gathered outside the nightclub to remember the victims of the attack today.
In Istanbul alone, 37,000 personnel are on duty.
Several New Year’s Eve street parties were cancelled for security reasons.
Dubai: The city is replacing its main midnight fireworks with a laser show on the world’s tallest tower, the 828-metre Burj Khalifa.
This is so lit~!!!💕🔥🔥 #LightUp2018 pic.twitter.com/Vnq8rDBMMu
— Isra’a💜미나♧ (@IsraaMad) December 31, 2017
Moscow: Major boulevards and squares will be decked out to welcome the new year, with fireworks to light up 36 key sites.
Berlin. Special tents will be set up at the Brandenburg Gate to care for women victims of sexual harassment or those who feel threatened, following mass assaults by migrant groups on women in Cologne two years ago. In Cologne itself, 1,400 police will be mobilised, street lighting will be improved and more video cameras installed.
Paris. Hundreds of thousands are expected to line the Champs-Elysees for a light show and fireworks at the Arc de Triomphe. Nearly 140,000 police, gendarmes and soldiers will be deployed nationwide to guard against the jihadist threat. But with no major attack in France since mid-2016 the atmosphere was noticeably more festive than in the past two years.
Rio: Millions will gather on Copacabana beach to watch the fireworks, with many wearing white, the traditional colour to usher in the new year.
#HappyNewYear 2018 pic.twitter.com/nCdWqPG01N
— samadkhan (@samadARYNews) December 31, 2017
