Plea for Friday as a holiday

E-Paper | June 13, 2026

THIS is apropos the letter ‘Plea for Friday as a holiday’ (May 22). I agree with the writer. The first and foremost reason is that three working hours are lost on Fridays due to the prayers. Productivity is the lowest on Fridays as some people leave for prayers early and many people do not bother to return to their respective offices after the prayers. For some the weekend starts with the Friday prayers.

We can have Thursday and Friday as holidays just like the Middle East countries. This will save a lot of foreign exchange in terms of savings in commuting and electricity costs.

I hope that the new government would give it a thought.

SQN LDR ( r) RIZWAN RASHID Lahore

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Agha Ata (USA)

May 24, 2013 01:05pm

Oooops. "eradicating this corruption..." :(

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Irfan K

May 24, 2013 05:16am

Changing the weekly holidays because some workers (mostly Government departments) do no work fukk day on Friday is like cutting your nose off becuase your neighbour has done the same! Why can't we think about correcting problems rather than making the whole system handicapped? Even the Middle East countries that have Thursday and Friday off are considering changing it to Friday and Saturday off. That's progress. Having Thursday/Friday off means they are cut off from the rest of the Middle East for one day, and rest of the world for four days. Let's work for progress rather than resort to regressive measures. Regards.

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TAM

May 24, 2013 06:09am

I do not think loss of productivity for a few hours on Friday has ever been an issue in a very lethargic Pakistan in any case. Secondly, if you have Thursday and Friday off and all the Western and Far Eastern countries are closed for business on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a lull and no business for four days effectively. Would that not be an issue? Maybe not in slumbering Pakistan.

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Indian

May 24, 2013 08:59am

If you are creating the bussiness then people will follow you other wise you hav eto follow.

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Ahmed

May 24, 2013 10:36am

Studies are already underway in Middle East including Saudi Arabia to change the weekend from Thursday - Friday to Friday-Saturday, so that the middle east and the global market do not remain cut off from each other for 4 days.

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Agha Ata (USA)

May 24, 2013 01:03pm

You said, "Many people do not bother to return to their respective offices after the prayers." What a shame. Is that what they learn from their prayers, stealing government's money, and people

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Riaz Ahmad

May 24, 2013 12:08pm

A humble plea to my countrymen to do some soul searching. Pakistan has millions of mosques, millions of people go to hudj, offer daily and Friday prayers, yet the country has become a cesspit of corruption with stench of rot in every nook and corner of society. The country has become a graveyard of ethics and morality. Under such circumstances, is there any meaning or motive to ritual prayer, does it serve any purpose. My advice to those who are provoked in to a red hot rage; go have a cold shower, cool down and think again. If you are unable to think, try and try again until you do.

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nasir siddique

May 24, 2013 02:38pm

Why doesn't the country revert to a Friday and Saturday weekend like most Gulf countries. Why do we always have to come up with illogical set ups and can;t get even basci decisions right.

Recommend 0

May 24, 2013 02:54pm

What rubbish ! Saudi Arabia just changed their weekend from Thu / Fri to Fri / Sat. Do you know why? Because they were cut off from the rest of the world for four days of the week (Thu/Fri/Sat/Sun) and the economy was suffering badly as a result. If someone doesn't bother returning to work on Friday or spends too much time at prayer, that's a disciplinary issue for the organization concerned.

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Anwar Hussain

May 24, 2013 04:33pm

Friday can't necessarily be observed as weekly holiday, only because in some Muslim countries that is done. Pakistan is an enlightened and a visionary country it understands well. In sorae juma also in it's last line god is asking it's creature to spread and acquire livelihood and business on the earth after the Friday's prayers. So this implies clearly that there is no and hard and fast binding of fixing a day as holiday. Anwar Hussain, Karachi

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Shahryar Shirazi

May 24, 2013 06:42pm

People don't work Monday-Thursday either. Its just not a Friday problem. We need to induce honesty in work culture and this problem will go away regardless of Friday being a day off or not.

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Nazir Ali

May 24, 2013 09:42pm

Isn't Pakistan amazing? Instead of coming back after prayers and perhaps learn to work harder they instead go home on Fridays!!! Now you have the audacity to request Thursday and Friday as holiday. So lets see here. World Market is open from Monday-Friday, Pakistan will be off Thursday-Sunday, so you are basically dealing with world for 3 days only. No wonder Pakistan lives off charity and begging. My humble request is that everyone should work 7 days to save Pakistan from eventual doom.

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Ali

May 25, 2013 12:16am

Only thing you see is Loosing a working day on Friday. I don't even see people working the rest of the week even. Out of 7 days 2 Days goes for holiday 2 days for mourn 2 days goes in strike and 1 day left for work so every one waste there time thinking should we go or not. Before plea to take off Friday make the government work and see the other important factors for good living.

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Atif

May 25, 2013 06:41am

The only middle eastern country left with Thursday Friday off is Saudi Arabia. all others have changed to Friday Saturday. Even Saudis are working on changing this. Why even think of going back to this just because people are not sincere with their jobs ? people will always find an excuse of not coming to work.

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Farrukh

May 25, 2013 09:31pm

thank you Mr Rizwan, I hope we can bring in positive change by atleast giving logical and fruitful suggestions to new govt!

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Zinc

May 25, 2013 09:37pm

Friday and Saturday weekend is better option then Thursday and Friday because if we go for Thursday and Friday off that means we don't have International market for next two days i.e Saturday and Sunday and that makes only three business days for Pakistan in International Market.

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