A public holiday will be observed on the day of general elections on February 8, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said in a notification issued on Thursday.
Announcing the development, the electoral authority said the holiday will enable voters to vote freely and easily, as the country witnesses the conduct of polls after more than five years.
The development was announced following a key meeting held at the electoral authority’s office in Islamabad today, where discussions around the state of law and order in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan have also taken place.
A day earlier, the Punjab government decided to keep schools, colleges and universities across the province closed from February 6 to 9 in the backdrop of the general elections.
As per the Punjab cabinet, the decision would apply on public and private educational institutes both.
Caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a post on X, said, “In view of the upcoming general elections on 8th February, Provincial Cabinet has approved that all public and private sector schools, colleges, and universities in Punjab will be closed from Feb 6th to 9th.”
However, he said, the 9:30am opening timing for schools will only be observed till February 3. Regular school timings will be observed later on, he added.
