ISLAMABAD: The federal government announced a two-day public holiday on Tuesday for Muharram 9 and 10.
“The Prime Minister is pleased to declare 16th and 17th July, 2024 (Tuesday and Wednesday) as public holidays on the occasion of Ashura (9th & 10th Muharram 1446 AH),” stated a notification issued by the Cabinet Division.
Muslims worldwide will observe the religious occasion with grief and sorrow.
As a security measure during Muharram, the government approved the deployment of the Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAF) across the country. According to an interior ministry notification, the details of troop deployment, which will be enforced for an indefinite period, will be finalised with relevant authorities, including the governments of Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
The notification further stated, “The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among all stakeholders.”
Provincial governments, including Punjab, have requested the federal government to suspend social media platforms for one week to curb the spread of hate material online. However, the federal government has not yet decided to suspend internet services during Muharram. Any decision in this regard will be made in consultation with the provinces, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior earlier today.
