No Public Holiday for Khadim Hussain Rizvi in Punjab

Recently, a graphic has been making rounds on social media in Pakistan, claiming that the Punjab government has declared a public holiday to honor the death anniversary of Khadim Hussain Rizvi, the former leader of the far-right political party, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan. This claim gained traction on November 19, when many users began sharing a post that stated a holiday would be observed on November 21.

The post, which was purportedly from Geo Television’s Facebook account, read, “A public holiday has been announced in Lahore on November 21 for the death anniversary of Khadim Hussain Rizvi.” Accompanying this message was a screenshot that included a link to what was claimed to be a news report. This led numerous social media users to believe that the announcement was indeed true.

However, upon investigation, it was revealed that the Punjab government has made no such announcement regarding a public holiday. Furthermore, Geo Television has not reported any news related to this claim. A fact-checking initiative found no evidence of the post on Geo Television’s Facebook page on either November 18 or 19. The link provided in the graphic actually led to an unrelated article dated November 18, which discussed a Chinese trader in Afghanistan embracing Islam.

In addition, a spokesperson for Geo Television confirmed that no such report was published or aired, labeling the post as fabricated. The information minister of Punjab also verified that the provincial government has not declared any public holiday in connection with Khadim Hussain Rizvi’s death anniversary.

This incident highlights the importance of verifying information before sharing it on social media. In an age where misinformation can spread like wildfire, it is crucial for individuals to seek out reliable sources and confirm the authenticity of claims. By doing so, we can contribute to a more informed society and prevent the spread of false information.