Govt announces public holiday

KARACHI: On account of International Labour Day, the Sindh government has officially announced a public holiday across the province on May 1st, ARY News reported.

As per the notification, all government, semi-government offices, and educational institutions, which include schools, colleges, and universities, will remain closed on Thursday, May 12.

Worldwide, on 1^st May every year, Labour Day is observed to recognise the rights and what workers contribute.

The day honours the Chicago protests, which took place in 1886, where workers asked for a reduction in working hours from 14 to 8 hours.

The protests turned into violent clashes and resulted in the deaths of numerous workers. Globally, May 1^st has been observed as Labour Day since then.

Labour Day in Pakistan

Labour Day in Pakistan was officially recognised in 1972, when the first Labour Policy was introduced.

To highlight the rights and challenges of the workers, the day has been marked with seminars, rallies, and events since then.

The federal government has also announced May 1, 2025, as a public holiday, ensuring nationwide observance.

Read More: Saturday holiday abolished in FBR offices

Earlier, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) abolished Saturday holidays in its offices across the country.

According to FBR, the decision was part of a ‘broader’ strategy to meet the revenue collection target set for the fiscal year 2024-25. In this regard, a formal directive was issued to all Chief Commissioners, directing them to strictly adhere to official working hours and consider Saturdays as normal working days.

The FBR abolished Saturday holidays in all tax offices until June 30, 2025. The FBR urged all its offices to adopt a comprehensive strategy that focused on maximum revenue collection to meet the target.

The FBR has set a target to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio to 11.2% for the upcoming fiscal year.