Punjab to follow Federal govt's lead on Eid-ul-Azha holidays: sources

LAHORE: Sources privy to the government quarters claimed that Punjab will be following Federal Government’s lead on the matter of Eid-ul-Azha holidays, ARY News reported on Friday.

According to sources, Punjab government will follow federal government’s ruling on Eid-Ul-Azha holidays and will grant government offices days off emulating Islamabad.

If Eid falls on Friday then government offices will resume activities from Monday onwards and will remain closed for the days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Imran Khan appealed to the masses to celebrate upcoming Eid ul Azha with simplicity and not to be careless and brush aside the government-defined health guidelines to keep coronavirus at bay.

Speaking to the media after inaugurating Isolation Hospital and Infectious Treatment Center in the capital, the prime minister stressed that people should not throw caution to the wind this Eid as they did on Eidul Fitr, which, according to him, lead to a rapid increase in the number of cases, piling pressure on hospitals and healthcare workers.

“Eid is coming, we should not do what we did the previous Eid,” the prime minister emphasised, adding the country saw a surge in coronavirus cases following Eidul Fitr as the disease peaked.

He said the Covid-19 curve is flattening because of the government’s steps and provinces’ cooperation.

“We didn’t hope that it will go down so soon and expected it to peak by July-end,” PM Khan said, adding: “Pakistan is among a few countries where the number of infections is going down.”

He cautioned that the virus will spread rapidly if people exhibited carelessness, urging them to celebrate this Eid with simplicity and follow the SOPs.