November 9 to be a public holiday

The federal government has declared November 9 (Saturday) a public holiday to observe Iqbal Day, marking the birth anniversary of national poet and philosopher Allama Muhammad Iqbal.

A notification was also issued by the federal government in this connection.

"As notified vide Cabinet Division's circular No. 10-02/2023-Min-II dated 20th December, 2023, listing Public and Optional Holidays for the year 2024, Saturday, the 9th November, 2024 shall be a public holiday throughout the country on the occasion of Allama Iqbal Day," the notification stated.

Meanwhile, State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced a bank holiday on November 9, 2024 on the occasion of Allama Iqbal Day.

“The State Bank of Pakistan will remain closed on Saturday, November 09, 2024 being public holiday on the occasion of Allama Iqbal Day, as declared by the Government of Pakistan,” read a circular letter issued by SBP’s Banking Policy and Regulations Department on Wednesday.

Photo: State Bank of Pakistan

To mark the 147th birth anniversary of great poet philosopher, Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal, also known as “Poet of the East” and “Conceiver of Pakistan”, all the banks, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and Micro Finance Banks (MFBs) will also observe the public holiday on November 09, 2024.

Iqbal Day has had a tumultuous history. It was suspended in 2015 but was reinstated in 2022. Last year, the Cabinet Division had declared Iqbal Day a public holiday, raising hopes that similar announcements would be made this year.

The official list of holidays for 2024 indicated that Iqbal Day was marked for observance, suggesting that the celebrations would proceed as planned.

Traditionally, educational institutions held events on this day, where students recited Iqbal’s poetry and discussed his contributions to the country’s heritage.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already issued a list of holidays to be observed by its missions at the beginning of 2024, which included November 9, Iqbal Day, as a holiday.

Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan