BAHAWALPUR, May 24: The 41st death anniversary of the late Nawab Sadiq Muhammad Khan Abbasi (the fifth) was observed here on Thursday.

The government had declared a local holiday. A number of literary and social organisations held special functions to pay homage to the amir of the Bahawalpur state, now defunct.

The main function was organised by the Bazm-i-Dilshauq in which prominent among the speakers were EDO (Community Development) Shariq Masood Ansari, City Tehsil Nazim Malik Zahid Mahmood Channar, Majeed Gill, Malik Habibullah Bhutta and Malik Khuda Bakhsh Dilshauq.

They paid tributes to the late Nawab Sadiq for his services for the cause of Pakistan and the annexation of the Bahawalpur state to Pakistan on the desire of the Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

They demanded that the federal government should declare May 24 a public holiday in the country, issue special postal stamps to mark the death anniversary and telecast special programmes on PTV to pay tribute to the Nawab.

The high court bar association at its meeting demanded through a resolution that May 24 should be observed as a court holiday in the district and its notification should be issued by the Lahore High Court chief justice.

A two-day exhibition of books, magazines and journals highlighting the period of the late Nawab’s reforms was inaugurated at the central library.