RAWALPINDI: The district administration announced a holiday in Rawalpindi tehsil, city and cantonment areas on Monday and asked educational institutions to remain closed for a day during the two-day visit of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman.

Acting Deputy Commissioner Saima Yunus told Dawn that Monday was declared a local holiday within the revenue jurisdiction of Rawalpindi tehsil including city, rural and cantonment areas.

She said all educational institutions will be closed but the offices of essential services including the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation, district council, Rawalpindi Development Authority, Parks and Horticulture Authority, Wasa, Rawalpindi Waste Management Company, Iesco, SNGPL, PTCL, district and traffic police, district administration, Civil Defence, Rescue 1122 and hospitals will remain open.

She said the local holiday was declared in the tehsil as the Islamabad district administration had also declared a holiday.

“All private offices will be closed on Monday,” she said, and that the metro bus service will be suspended on Sunday and Monday.

Punjab Mass Transit Authority Rawalpindi Manager Operation Shumaila Mohsin told Dawn that the service will resume Tuesday morning. She said the step was taken for security reasons.

Cantonment Traders Association General Secretary Zafar Qadri told Dawn that the cantonment bazaars will remain open as the local holiday is not for bazaars.

The Punjab government has cancelled the holidays of doctors and paramedical staff in three government-run hospitals in the garrison city and asked the three allied hospitals - Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and District Headquarters Hospital - to remain open as per routine.

Outdoor patient departments will be open on Monday.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2019