Sindh educational institutions to remain open on Iqbal Day

KARACHI: The provincial government on Thursday clarified that all educational institutions of Sindh will remain open on November 9, Iqbal Day.

Dismissing earlier reports that educational institutions in the province would remain closed on November 9, 2018, the Sindh Education Department announced that educational institutions would remain open as per routine on November 9.

Adding that the Sindh Education Department had not issued any notification stipulating a public holiday on Iqbal Day.

Earlier, it was misreported that schools, colleges and universities would remain closed in Sindh for Iqbal Day.

Two days earlier, the Ministry of Interior also elucidated that November 9, Iqbal Day, has been declared a normal working day, rejecting the media reports of a public holiday.

A spokesperson of the ministry said, “No notification has been issued by the Interior Ministry in this regard.”

Addressing a session of the National Assembly, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi said, “Vision of Naya Pakistan is to work 24/7.”

Iqbal Day is celebrated on Novmeber 9 in the remembrance of Pakistan’s national poet, who conceived the idea of Pakistan and used his poetry to motivate Muslims, especially the youth of the sub-continent, in their struggle against their British rulers and their demand for a separate homeland.

Muhammad Iqbal was born in Sialkot, Punjab, on November 9 in 1877 AD. He received his early education in the traditional maktab and went to Sialkot Mission School, from where he passed his matric exams.

Unfortunately, he did not live to see the dream of a separate homeland for Muslims come true and passed away on April 21, 1938.