Only educational institutions to close on first Muharram

Karachi
According to a notification issued by the Sindh government on Wednesday, only educational institutions are to remain closed on Thursday (today) on account of Youm-e-Shahdat Hazrat Umer Farooq (RA), while the rest of the city is to go about its business as usual.
Sindh Senior Minister for Education Nisar Ahmed Khuhro announced that all government and private schools, colleges, and higher education institutions in Karachi were to stay shut. Following the day-long confusion over the matter, the minister in his notification gave ‘strict directions’ to government officers to ensure their employees were in attendance.
Previously not observed as a gazetted holiday, the senior minister was unavailable for comment over the sudden change in policy for the first of Muharram; however, a spokesman for the ministry claimed the announcement was made in accordance with the chief minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah’s, directives.
The decision to observe a local holiday, that also only for educational institutions, was taken by the CM following a meeting with Ulema on Tuesday.
The CM was, however, said to have persuaded the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) to not organise its rally, otherwise taken out annually on the first of Muharram to observe the caliph’s Shahadat, a source privy to the meeting informed.
The reason cited by the CM to call the rally off were stated to be certain intelligence reports which had warned of possible sabotage or incidents of terrorism.