Offices ‘deserted’ on first working day post Eid

Islamabad: As if the festivity is not over yet, the government offices in Islamabad literally wore a deserted look on Friday, the first working day after four official Eidul Azha holidays.

And even those, who showed up at work, spent most of the office time chatting away about their activities on Eid as well as current political and economic happenings. They said things would be normal on Monday only.

Though the government had announced four Eid holidays from Monday to Thursday, many of its employees have taken an additional holiday for Friday to stay away from duty for more than a week.

Last Friday, too, the last working day before Eid, thin attendance was reported in government offices as the employees, mostly non-locals, left for hometowns to celebrate Eid and those present on duty left premises early to get ready for the prayer of Jumma prayers.

A senior official of the Pak Secretariat said his office was empty as many of its employees had taken additional holidays to make the most of Eid festival. He said many of his colleagues had gone either to hometowns or on excursion to hill stations, including Murree, Abbottabad, Swat, Kaghan and Naran.

“Thin attendance in offices will end at the start of next week i.e. on Monday,” he said. An official of the labour and manpower ministry said most staff members present on duty on Friday were local residents. He said holidaymakers would return to work on Monday and thus, restoring normalcy in offices.