As May 1st draws near, a growing number of Pakistanis are using social media to ask if the day will be a public holiday in honor of Labor Day, which this year lands on a Wednesday. Although May 1st is generally recognized as Labor Day in Pakistan and is often a public holiday, there hasn’t been a formal announcement from the federal government confirming this yet.
It’s important to point out that May 1st has been listed as a public holiday in the Cabinet Division’s list of holidays for this year. However, we still need a formal government announcement to confirm if May 1st will definitely be observed as a public holiday.
Normally, on Labor Day, educational institutions like schools, colleges, and universities across Pakistan, including those in major cities like Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta, are closed to recognize the day.
Every year on May 1, the world observes International Labor Day, reaffirming the importance of workers’ rights. Organizations in both the public and private sectors organize events like conferences, seminars, marches, walks, and online meetings to recognize the significant contributions and sacrifices of workers.
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The first labor policy was created in 1972, and that’s when May 1 was officially designated as a public holiday. In case you didn’t know, International Labor Day also commemorates a tragic event in 1937, when ten unarmed labor demonstrators were shot and killed during a protest.
If the public holiday is officially confirmed, both private and public sector offices are expected to close on May 1st. In addition, the State Bank of Pakistan is likely to declare a bank holiday on Labor Day as well.
Every year on May 1st, people around the globe celebrate International Labor Day to honor the contributions of workers and to promote their rights.