Government Announces Public Holidays in Islamabad for SCO Summit

Islamabad, Oct 7: Government Announces Public Holidays in Islamabad for SCO Summit. A fake notice that was making the rounds on social media, claiming that the city would have public holidays and limitations in advance of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, has been refuted by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of Islamabad.

This is fake statement “The prime minister has been pleased to declare the 14th, 15th, and 16th of October, 2024 [Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday] as closed holidays within the territorial limits of Islamabad Capital Territory and Rawalpindi district to facilitate the smooth conduct of the 23rd Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of Government,” said an official notification issued by the Cabinet Division.

The fictitious notification, purporting to be from the District Magistrate, proposed declaring October 16, 17, and 18 as public holidays and imposing gathering prohibitions. In a tweet, the DC confirmed that the message was bogus and asked individuals to ignore it. It has to be noted that a formal announcement regarding the October 14–16 holidays has been issued by the cabinet division. This is the alert:

The Pakistan Army has been formally stationed in Islamabad by the federal government to provide security during the October 15–16 summit. The deployment, effective from October 5 to 17, seeks to preserve peace and order throughout the event and the visits of VVIP delegations.

Prominent international leaders, including Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, will be present at the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting. To protect the event, a thorough security strategy has been established.