ISLAMABAD: Despite all the news in the social media regarding the holiday on Iqbal Day 2016, the Interior Ministry of Pakistan has not issued any notification in this regard, Thenewstribe.com reported.

The news of the holiday was only aired on ARY News which stated that a notification in this regard has been issued, but there has been nothing as such on other side of media.

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.

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.”

That 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.

On the other hand, other provinces of Pakistan have not announced the public holiday on Iqbal Day 2016 till the date. Federal government has already cancelled this holiday since 2014.

Dr Iqbal is widely regarded as having inspired the Pakistan Movement, he was a well-known poet, philosopher, politician while his professional identity was established as educationist, law expert and scholar.

He died in Lahore on April 21, 1938.