ISLAMABAD: Muharram 9 and 10 will be observed as a two-day public holiday, as declared by the federal government on Tuesday.
“On the occasion of Ashura (9th & 10th Moharram 1446 AH), the Prime Minister is pleased to declare July 16th and 17, 2024 (Tuesday and Wednesday) as public holidays,” the Cabinet Division announced in a notice.
Muslims throughout will mourn and lament as they mark the holy day.
As a precautionary measure for security during Muharram, the government also sanctioned the deployment of the Pakistan Army and Civil Armed Forces (CAF) around the nation.
According to the announcement from the interior ministry, the specifics of the troop deployment—which would be in place for an undetermined amount of time—will be decided upon in consultation with the relevant authorities, which include the governments of Gilgit Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad.
“The date of de-requisitioning of said deployment will be decided subsequently after mutual consultation among all stakeholders,” the letter further added.
It is important to note that in an effort to stop the propagation of hate speech online, provincial governments—including Punjab’s—have asked the federal government to impose a one-week suspension on social media platforms.
However, according to a statement, the federal government has not yet decided whether to stop internet services during Muharram and would speak with the provinces before making any decisions in this regard.
