A local holiday has been announced in Kasur on August 29 in connection with the 269th annual Urs of renowned Sufi poet and saint Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah.
The three-day Urs celebrations are continuing in Kasur, with devotees attending spiritual gatherings and visiting the shrine of Baba Bulleh Shah to offer prayers and pay their respects.
The local holiday will be observed on Saturday, August 29, and will apply to district offices and relevant government institutions working under the authority of the Deputy Commissioner.
Foolproof security arrangements have been put in place at the shrine and surrounding areas to ensure the safety of visitors during the Urs celebrations.
The district administration has also arranged a large-scale langar for devotees visiting the shrine.
The second day of the three-day Urs is witnessing spiritual gatherings, with large numbers of devotees continuing to arrive at the shrine.
According to the administration, the 269th Urs celebrations of Hazrat Baba Bulleh Shah will conclude tomorrow.
Earlier, in a separate development, the Balochistan government abolished the Saturday holiday in all government schools across the province. As a result, public schools will now operate six days a week.
According to an official notification issued by the provincial government, Sunday will now be the only weekly holiday for all government schools. Schools will remain open from Monday through Saturday.
The Balochistan Education Department has formally issued a notification confirming the end of the Saturday holiday.
Punjab schools to open on alternate Saturdays
In a separate development, the Punjab government has announced, according to reports on Friday, that it may review the school academic calendar after private schools objected to the long summer vacations in the province.
The Education Minister of Punjab, Rana Sikandar Hayat, while speaking to a private TV channel, said that long holidays negatively affect students’ education. He agreed with the concerns that had been raised by private schools.
He said that the government is considering a proposal to open schools on alternate Saturdays after the summer vacations.
Further, the minister added that the new academic calendar will be prepared after consultation with private schools.
He also said that an alternative plan will be made in case schools have to close suddenly due to any situation.
The minister said that the Friday holiday also caused a loss in studies. According to him, schools should remain open for 180 days in a year, but at present, they are functioning for only around 140 days.
Also read: Govt ends Saturday holiday in Schools