LAHORE: The federal government announced a public holiday on Iqbal Day to pay tribute to the national poet, but Allama Iqbal’s daughter-in-law has opposed the initiative.

Justice (retired) Nasira Javed Iqbal slammed the incumbent government’s initiative to restore the public holiday, saying it will not serve any purpose.

She mentioned that she was invited to five events which were now cancelled due to the public holiday. On a lighter note, she mentioned that people will now spend the day off eating ‘Nihari and Dahi Bhallay’.

In 2015, the PML-N government cancelled the annual public holiday on November 9 marking the birth anniversary of Dr Allama Muhammad Iqbal without specifying any reason.

This year, the day was observed a change of guard ceremony at the mausoleum of Allama Iqbal in connection with his birth anniversary.

A controversy erupted in April when police raided the house of former Justice Nasira Iqbal ahead of the PTI long march to arrest her son and PTI Senator Walid Iqbal.

Walid Iqbal had shared his 81-year-old mother was woken up at 2:00 AM after police roughed up their staff and left. Nasira Iqbal had said that eight police officials raided her house and also damaged the front gate by hitting the police van.

She said that servants and security guard were also harassed by the police officials, adding that she has never violated the law. She said that the police officials left after they learnt that Walid Iqbal was not present at home.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif had later apologized for the raid and the excessive use of force.

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