The Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration has announced that Dec 18 and 20 will be observed as local holidays in the federal capital on the occasion of the 17th Extra-Ordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

Taking to Twitter on Friday, Deputy Commissioner Islamabad Hamza Shafqat said that all public and private educational institutions, as well as private offices, will remain closed from December 18 to 20.

In another tweet, he also shared a notification from the Office of District Magistrate Islamabad, which stated that all hiking trails and Metro Bus Stations from Pak Secretariat to Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat shall remain closed from December 17 to 20.

Pakistan to host OIC moot on Afghanistan on December 19

In a separate notification, the Cabinet Division also announced the closure of all government offices on Monday.

“All federal ministries/divisions along with their attached departments and other organisations shall also remain closed on Monday, the 20th December 2021,” it added.

Cellular services

Earlier, the Office of the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad had clarified that the mobile phone services in the federal capital will remain available during the emergency session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) between December 17 and 19.

“Cellular services will stay on in Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT),” the DC Office said in a tweet on Friday.

The development brings an end to week-long speculations that the cellular services in Islamabad will remain suspended for three days due to the OIC session.

The session has been convened to “mobilise support for providing adequate food, medicine, and shelter to millions of people in Afghanistan who are in dire need after the fall of Kabul in mid-August,” the foreign office said.