Rawalpindi DC says April 22 local holiday notification is fake

RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar Cheema on Tuesday rejected a notification circulating online that claimed a local holiday had been declared in the garrison city for April 22.

In a post on X, the deputy commissioner shared an image of the purported order, which said he had announced a local holiday within the territorial jurisdiction of Rawalpindi on April 22. He dismissed the document and said,“This notification circulating on social media is fake, adding that people should “rely only on official sources for authentic information.”

The clarification came amid the circulation of messages on social media regarding closures and restrictions in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

According to the notification that was denied by the deputy commissioner, a local holiday had allegedly been declared for Wednesday in Rawalpindi. However, the district administration said the document was not genuine.

This is the second such denial in recent days. On Sunday, Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon had also declared fake a notification claiming that all public and private offices in the federal capital and Rawalpindi would remain closed from April 20 until further notice.

The developments come as authorities put in place a number of measures ahead of the expected hosting of US-Iran talks in Islamabad.

In Rawalpindi, some roads have been shut, while a number of schools and universities have also been closed, though some institutions are continuing to operate.

The district administration’s statement sought to counter misinformation being shared online and directed the public to depend on official channels for verified updates.

Second fake notification denied in two days

The latest clarification follows a similar rebuttal issued by the Islamabad administration earlier this week. That earlier fake notice had claimed a broader shutdown affecting both Islamabad and Rawalpindi, including public and private offices, starting from April 20.

Tuesday’s denial by the Rawalpindi deputy commissioner specifically addressed the claim of a one-day local holiday for April 22 in the city’s territorial limits.

The official clarification did not announce any holiday. Instead, it only stated that the circulating notification was fabricated and urged residents to verify information through official sources.

The issue surfaced at a time when administrative arrangements in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have drawn public attention because of security and traffic-related measures linked to the anticipated US-Iran talks in the capital.