Pakistan

K-P govt announces public holiday on Iqbal Day

The decision comes after PTI chief requested K-P CM to declare public holiday on November 9

Web Desk November 07, 2015

PTI chief Imran Khan addressing a press conference in Peshawar on Saturday, November 7, 2015. PHOTO: INP

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government announced on Saturday a public holiday on November 9 on account of Iqbal Day, Express News reported.

The decision came after PTi chief Imran Khan advised K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to declare public holiday on Iqbal Day.

"I have requested the K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to declare public holiday on November 9 in the province," Imran tweeted.

I have requested CM KP Pervez Khattak to declare 9 Nov, Iqbal Day, as a public holiday in the province. 1/4
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 7, 2015

The PTI chief said he was not in favour of too many holidays, but Iqbal Day is different from other days as “Iqbal's thought embodies the ideology of Pakistan.”

2/4 While I disapprove of too many holidays, Iqbal Day is different from other days. Iqbal's thought embodies the ideology of Pakistan.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 7, 2015

He further said in order to strengthen Pakistan’s ideological foundation it is extremely important for the coming generations to follow Iqbal's thoughts as “nations without Nazriya (Ideology) simply die.”

4/4 Nations without nazriya simply die.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) November 7, 2015

Imran claimed that “both military and "democratic" dictators have suppressed Iqbal's message of freedom of the body and soul.”

No public holiday: Schools to remain open on Iqbal Day

The appeal came after the federal government on Wednesday announced that there will be no public holiday on Iqbal Day. Sindh government has already announced that schools will remain open on Iqbal Day.

COMMENTS (24)

ahmed41 | 8 years ago | Reply Iqbal as a writer of Persian and Urdu , as a poet-philosopher , can not be understood without a " commentary" . How many South Asian are familiar with the Persian language nowadays ? Why does not EXPRESS TRIBUNE publish a supplement on Iqbal 's poetry ? Ask readers for their favorite IQBAL-verse; with reasons. Is his philosophy relevant in 2015 ??

Ubaid | 8 years ago | Reply I don't understand why declaring a public holiday is so important to celebrate such events as everyone knows people will sleep through the day. Instead by not declaring it holiday but to hold events in school and offices to remember these leaders would be a better idea. Iqbal definitely wouldn't have liked us to be sleeping while celebrating his birthday. You expect the people to dream of the message of Iqbal?

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waji | 8 years ago | Reply Yea we should observe this day bu not like wasting the whole day on non-productive activities. Why not we do some extra duties on this day that is worth to the nation.

prabhjyot singh madan | 8 years ago | Reply Very funny, respected Mr iqbal is respected in India too like maulana abul kalam who was our first education minister. We accept him, that is secularism....I hail him because he believed in western education In an bygone era. Mother Teresa, or abul kalam, pingalwada group in Punjab can do a great deal. Respect to Mr iqbal who was a indian at the time. Rab rakha

Abdullah | 8 years ago | Reply @raider: Iqbal is only celebrated as national peot because punjab needed icon of its independence as baghat singh was not muslim. Habib Jalib can be ideal national poet but establishment won't allow that.

raider | 8 years ago | Reply @sabi: Punjab is overflowing with these facilities, recently incidence of collapse of factory in Lahore is slap on the face of executive of province where he is reigning for last 20 years with only break of Musharraf era, all machinery worked there came from BAHRIA TOWN and pak army, operation of patients of requiring hygiene and sophistication are being carried out with torch light

raider | 8 years ago | Reply @Adnan Siddiqi: a liar s truth is based on hypocracy. in next comment you will demand list of changes in kpk from imran khan still he would be MNA not even from kpk

Aik_Paki | 8 years ago | Reply @Lahori: Smell of Pakhtonistan from your rant.

Rex Minor | 8 years ago | Reply I have requested the K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak to declare public holiday on November 9 in the province,” Imran tweeted. Mr Iqbal has nothing to warrant a public holiday in the Pashtun land, but Khush-hal Khan and Batcha Khan do. If the KPK Chief Minister follows the advice of the broken IK, and not of the people of KPK, he will soon be ousted from his post. IK should take the hike and learn what a democracy is? Rex Minor

Sheikh Tahseen | 8 years ago | Reply IQBAL DAY MUST BE CELEBRATED ALL OVER PAKISTAN. Otherwiae our children will not remember Iqbal Birth date. As i do not know other heros biography as like Sir Syed.. A holiday does not mean itself but the celebrated day has

Adnan Siddiqi | 8 years ago | Reply Oh wow! And now an MNA would order a chief executive of a province to declare a particular day as a public holiday? Simply brilliant.

Nadeem | 8 years ago | Reply Commendable. The nation must remember its heroes in ways like this.

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply People of KPK need clean water hospitals roads and employment.Ideologies don't fill stomach. After badly failing to deliver in KPK this man turns again to old slogans.

raider | 8 years ago | Reply @Lahori: pea- brained spewing balderdash here is alarming for nation that already facing myriad predicaments, allam iqbal is national poet not your uncle.

Layman | 8 years ago | Reply I bet all the people commenting here have not read Iqbal in any form in there life or they haven't read and know the history also about what contribution Iqbal had in the creation of Pakistan and last but not the least they have no clue what Iqbal's writings stands for and why it is important to celebrate Iqbal day for our future generations, they are only commenting here in the hatred of imran khan, they have no concerns with Iqbal day neither day value it.

Lahori | 8 years ago | Reply Kp should celebrate their own heros first like khushal khan Khattak. What Iqbal has to do with Pakhtuns.

Ch. Allah Daad | 8 years ago | Reply Mr. U turn Khan has made at least one U turn in his tweet. "While I disapprove too many holidays, (U turn) Iqbal day is different.

Curious | 8 years ago | Reply What particularly Iqbal has done for the people of KP? Or in other words, Pakhtuns.

Khan Gul | 8 years ago | Reply Why not. Let's celebrate Iqbal day on 8th November instead.

SALEEM | 8 years ago | Reply Now a province will go against the narional spirit m how idiotic. So Imran khan a prty leader advises the elected provincial Government to declare a holiday . Further once again genie of ideology . One has to now exprect this idiot khan to continue the idiotic adventures

Abdullah | 8 years ago | Reply I Agree with Imran Khan. Holiday on Iqbal Day

Paki | 8 years ago | Reply Trust me, if federal govt had announced holiday after all the debate going on these days over this issue, IK would had surely criticized :)

sabi | 8 years ago | Reply No to this ideology yes to safer Pakistan. You have done enough damage to this country by supporting Taliban.Is there any difference between Taliban ideology and ideology of Iqbal as defined by mullah.

ABC | 8 years ago | Reply Bravo... Only a true leader knows about IQBAL. Patwaris can declare holiday on nuclear explosion day but not on Great Iqbal's day

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