Schools, colleges to remain closed in Islamabad for these days

The Islamabad administration has announced that schools, colleges, and offices will remain closed for two days — on July 31 and August 1 (Monday and Tuesday).

“All public and private schools, colleges, and universities will remain shut on Monday and Tuesday,” District Magistrate Irfan Nawaz Memon said in a notification issued here.

Moreover, all private entities, companies; all markets/shops; all commercial banks will remain closed, the notification stated.

The development comes as He Lifeng, Vice Premier of China and Member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, will visit Pakistan from July 30 July to August 1, 2023.

During the visit, Vice Premier He — who is also a Special Envoy of President Xi Jinping — will attend the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

The Chinese vice premier will also meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and President Arif Alvi during the visit, according to the FO.

The Chinese official will also be the chief guest at an event celebrating a decade of CPEC. Lifeng has played a prominent role in China’s international economic relations and implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative, of which CPEC is a flagship project, the FO said.

As the chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission (2017-23), he was instrumental in the planning and execution of multiple CPEC projects in Pakistan, as per the FO.

“The visit is part of regular high-level exchanges and dialogue between Pakistan and China. It reflects the importance attached by Pakistan and China to further deepen their “All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partnership”; reaffirm support on issues of each other’s core interests; enhance economic and financial cooperation; advance high-quality development of CPEC; and explore new avenues for strengthening trade and investment ties between the two countries,” the spokesperson further added.