KARACHI – Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah on Thursday issued a notification to suspend the weekly holiday of Saturday in all the public schools and colleges of the province.
As per the notification, all public schools and colleges in the province now would not observe holiday on Saturday.
Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq had sent a summary to the Chief Minister House for suspension of the weekly Saturday’s holiday, as the province had witnessed huge educational loss. It is pertinent to mention here that the students and their parents in the metropolis have been experiencing various unexpected holidays during the ongoing year due to meager law and order situation in Karachi. The huge academic loss has forced the provincial government to chalk out a plan to overcome the problem.    
Mazhar has said that the decision will be implemented with immediate effect.
SPLA WELCOMES GOVERNMENT’S DECISION: Central leaders of Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association have welcomed the government’s decision to end the weekly Saturday off in all the public schools and colleges in the province.
Prof Iftikhar Azmi said that the government’s decision about observing Saturday as holiday was unjustified and baseless. He said two-weekly off had already damaged the education in the province. The decision-makers were unaware about the implications regarding the unnecessary holiday, he said.
“Consumption of electricity was not an issue at the public schools and colleges, so why they took such stupid decision. The current decision would make the teachers happy as now they would have more time to serve colleges better,” he added.  
A senior professor at the government college said that educationists, teachers and students welcome the government’s decision of suspending Saturday’s holiday at public educational institutions in the province.
Cleaning of graveyard: District Central administratiuon has undertaken cleaning of the graveyards in connection with the holy night “Shab-e-Qadar”.
Besides removal of bushes from the graveyards, cleaning of roads and all streets leading to the graveyards, will also be carried out, on the directives of Administrator district Central, Muhammad Nazir Lakhani, said a statement issued on Thursday.
Nazir Lakhani has also directed to make lighting arrangements and ensure cleaning in the Muhammad Shah graveyard in North Karachi.