Claim: A notification shared on social media claims “due to torrential rains, Sindh government declares Thursday 18 August as public holiday throughout Karachi and Hyderabad division”.
Fact: The claim is false. The Sindh government did not announce a public holiday on Thursday 18 August across Karachi and Hyderabad. All government and private offices are open throughout the province. The notification was issued regarding educational institutions, not for government or private offices, and not for a public holiday.
On 17 August 2022, an image of a notification went viral on social media platforms late at night claiming that Sindh Government had announced 18 August as a public holiday across Karachi and Hyderabad due to the ongoing torrential rains in the province.
The rains in Karachi and across the country have killed over 600 people since the beginning of monsoon season this year.
Fact or Fiction?
Previously, on 25 July 2022, the Sindh government announced a public holiday due to urban flooding and heavy rain.
However, Soch Fact Check received the new notification regarding the public holiday on 18 August Thursday on Whatsapp and found it to be false.
The Sindh government, on their official Facebook page, debunked this, stating that “all government offices in Sindh will be open as usual today, the notification circulating on social media is fake.”
The Sindh government also issued a notification to provide further clarification on the matter. This official notification states that only public and private educational institutions managed by the Department of School Education and College Education are closed on Thursday.
An organic search on Facebook showed tha the fake notification has been shared here, here, here, here, here, and here between 17 and 18 August 2022.
Conclusion: The Government of Sindh did not announce a public holiday on 18 August across Karachi and Hyderabad. The holiday is only for public and private educational institutions across Sindh.