ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: Official proceedings and business activities will remain virtually suspended for almost 11 days with the Eid holiday season kicking off today (Saturday) and continuing right up to December 25.

Most working people came to their offices on Saturday only to depart for holidays. Apart from the three official Eid holidays, most people have already applied for another three-day casual leave to get it connected with next Sunday and then onto December 25.

The government officials are entitled to a 20-day casual leave, and those who have yet not availed their holidays will try to make maximum use of these leaves.

The strength at the offices having foreign staff will be even thinner as the holidays will continue till the New Year celebrations.

This is not the case with Islamabad only, but, government offices, semi-government and autonomous bodies and corporations in the remaining parts of the country experience the same phenomenon.

However, this is much more pronounced in Islamabad where residents, most of whom come from other parts of the country, leave for their hometowns.

Economists say the country loses 180 million work-hours a day if it is a holiday. Besides these off-days, we have religious holidays, national holidays, birth and death anniversary holidays, and not to forget the strikes. Adding privilege, casual and medical leaves to these breaks, we almost have round-the-year-holiday season. There will hardly be any other country that can match our holiday record.

Celebrating national and religious festivities is right as it helps us to relax, provide new source of enthusiasm and dedication to work. But, we must realize that there should be a limit to everything. —Zahra Syed