General election 2024: will it be a public holiday in Pakistan on February 8?

ISLAMABAD: The general election in Pakistan are scheduled be held on February 8, 2024 Thursday, and people are wondering whether there will be a holiday in country or not.

On February 8, a holiday is anticipated in conjunction with the general elections in the country. This tradition stems from the General Election held in 2018, where the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) declared July 25th as a public holiday.

The holiday aimed to facilitate voters in exercising their right to vote conveniently during the General Election 2018.

In 2018, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) officially declared July 25 a public holiday on July 12, providing the public with 13 days’ notice before the elections. Consequently, this year, we can expect an announcement from the ECP regarding the February 8 holiday around January 26.

ECP is anticipated to utilise its powers granted under Article 218 of the Constitution to declare a public holiday in Pakistan on the day of elections.

Kashmir Day 2024: is February 5 a public holiday in Pakistan?

If February 8 is announced as a public holiday in Pakistan on the occasion of the general elections, and considering that Kashmir Day falls on a Monday, Pakistanis will enjoy two public holidays within the same week.

During the last general elections in the country, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also declared a holiday on the day of polling.