Pakistani Muslim hug each other after attending Eid al-Adha prayers at a mosque in Karachi on September 13, 2016. Muslims across the world celebrate the annual festival of Eid al-Adha, or the Festival of Sacrifice, which marks the end of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and in commemoration of Prophet Abraham's readiness to sacrifice his son to show obedience to God. / AFP PHOTO / ASIF HASSAN
The federal government has announced six Eid holidays with a clear intention to reduce mass mobility. The National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) announced this in a press release on Friday, adding that there will be a national holiday from 10 May to 15 May.
Earlier, a fake notification, under the name of the Interior Ministry, suggested a five-day Eid holiday. The notification, trusted and propagated by many, suggested Eid holidays between 13 May 2021 and 17 May 2021.
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The forum that spearheads the government’s efforts against COVID-19 also announced a “stay home stay safe” strategy for mobility control from May 8 to 16, which included the Eid holidays. This means that all tourist resorts, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers, parks, beaches, and other public places will be closed from May 8 to 16.
Further, the NCOC also banned Chand Raat bazaars, including mehndi, jewelry/ornaments, and clothing stalls.
During Eid holidays, all markets, businesses, and shops will remain closed, barring essential services, i.e., grocery stores, pharmacies, bakeries, vegetables, fruit, chicken and meat shops, and petrol pumps. Earlier, the Ministry for Interior Affairs announced the closure of inter-provincial transport and tourist destinations during these days.
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Travel nodes leading to the tourist destinations, particularly the scenic valleys of Murree, Swat, and northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, which attract hundreds of thousands of tourists from across the country during Eid holidays, will also remain closed during the said period, the ministry added.
There will be a complete ban on inter-provincial and inter-city transport during the Eid holidays, except for the residents of Gilgit-Baltistan, who will be allowed to travel to their hometowns.