ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Railway has announced that all its offices will remain closed on July 17, in observance of the 10th of Muharram, ARY News reported on Friday.
According to a notification, the decision to close the railway offices on this day was made to honour the significance of the 10th of Muharram, a day of mourning and reflection for the Muslim community.
The decision will apply to all railway reservation offices, it stated.
The notification noted that after July 17, all railway reservation offices and other facilities will resume normal operations without any disruption.
It is pertinent to mention here that the federal government had announced a two-day public holiday for the 9th and 10th of Muharram.
“[…] 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 Moharram 1446 AH),” a notification issued by the Cabinet Division stated.
Ashura is observed on the 10th day of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic year, which marks the great martyrdom of Imam Hussain (RA) and his companions in the Battle of Karbala.
Earlier, the federal government approved the deployment of armed forces across the country to ensure security during the month of Muharram.
The move comes at the request of the authorities in Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Islamabad, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to deploy military to control the law and order situation.
READ: Army deployed nationwide for Muharram security
The Centre, under Article 245 of the Constitution, authorized the “deployment of army troops/assets and civil armed forces troops/assets” to ensure peace.
