No public holiday on Iqbal Day: Interior Ministry

ISLAMABAD - Interior Ministry has dismissed the rumours of a holiday being observed on the Iqbal Day on 9th November.

Sources from Interior Ministry have confirmed that no notifications from the ministry have been issued regarding the holiday.

Earlier, rumours were circulating on social media suggesting that a notification has been issued by the interior ministry announcing a public holiday on Wednesday.

The alleged news was shared on social media showing an unreadable notification and a statement in Urdu that the Government has restored Iqbal Day holiday.

https://twitter.com/norbalm/status/795889832891416576

The unreadable notification shown over social media seems to be an old one (of 2015) which read as:

“PUBLIC HOLIDAY EARLIER DECLARED FOR 9TH NOVEMBER, 2015 VIDE MINISTRY OF INTERIOR CIRCULAR NUMBER 2/4/2014-PUBLIC DATED 2ND JANUARY, 2015 IS HEREBY CANCELLED AB INITIO.”

The notification clearly speaks the cancellation of holiday awarded from 2015. Therefore, unless a clear cut notification of Interior Ministry, November 9, 2016 should not be considered as holiday on Iqbal Day.

However, CM KPK Parvez Khattak has announced a public holiday on 9th November, 2016 in connection with Iqbal Day.

As per announcement, all the private and public institutions and offices will remain closed on Iqbal day. This is a good step taken by the KPK government to keep remember our national heroes and their scarifies for this country.