As announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif yesterday, Umm-e-Takbeer 28 May was declared as a public holiday to mark the day of indefatigable defense of Pakistan.
Due to this sudden public holiday, the provincial authorities have once again postponed the mathematics exam scheduled for Tuesday in Karachi. Additionally, all government departments, banks, Pakistan Stock Exchange, courts and educational institutions were closed yesterday.
Inflation-stricken Pakistan already has 120 public holidays (including public holidays) every year, and the one-day holiday causes a loss of 1 billion to 2 percent of GDP, amounting to more than 100 billion rupees.
Economic analyst Khurram Shehzad explained that if the decision is taken after the end of the working day, the impact of this holiday on the national treasury will double between 1.1 billion and 1.3 billion dollars.
Khurram Shehzad said that this happened because many businesses, industries and corporations had planned their work for tomorrow, and the sudden holiday forced these institutions to cancel their planned work.
On the other hand, PML-N Senator Irfan Siddiqui said in an interview that it is an important day for the country. Asked during the event why the government decided to announce the holiday suddenly, Senator Siddiqui said, “Personally, I do not support the holiday; it is not a good tradition. The decision is now accepted in Islamabad but I am not a part of it,” he said.
