Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A fake notification regarding announcement of public holiday by Federal Government on Iqbal day generated confusion on Tuesday. The provincial governments of Sindh and KP also went against the decision of Federal Government by announcing public holiday on 9th November, 2016.

On Tuesday, an unknown source has circulated a fake notification on social media stating announcement of public holiday on 9th November 2016 by the Ministry of Interior.

The fake notification shown over social media seems to be an old one which read as, “It is notified for general information that 9th November, 2016 (Wednesday) shall be public holiday on the occasion of Iqbal day.”

However, shortly after the ‘fake’ notification went viral, the interior ministry denied issuing any such memo. The spokesperson of the Interior Ministry Sarfraz Ahmed while talking to Daily Times has denied the issuance of any letter in this regard and said, “There will be no holiday on 9th November, 2016 while the matter of fake notification is being sent to Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for investigation in this matter.”

Iqbal day is celebrated every year as a tribute to “poet of the east” Allama Muhammad Iqbal, who was born on November 9, 1877 in Sialkot. It was the government of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz which had first abolished the said public holiday on last year by issuing a letter through ministry of interior in this regard.

Meanwhile, the provincial governments of Sindh and KP went against the federal government and announced public holiday to mark the Iqbal day. The Rawalpindi Private Schools Association has also announced holiday on the occasion of Iqbal Day.

President Private Schools Association Abrar Ahmed said all educational institutions located in Rawalpindi division will remain closed on 9th November.