A fake notification claiming a 10-day holiday for all public and private schools in Punjab has surfaced online ahead of Basant celebrations in Lahore scheduled for February 6 to 8.
The viral document, dated January 26, alleged that the Punjab School Education Department ordered schools to remain closed from February 1 to February 10. It also claimed that school rooftops could be leased or auctioned for Basant-related activities. The notice carried the name of Mudassir Riaz Malik, listed as the department’s secretary.
The document instructed district education authorities to enforce province-wide school closures and allow rooftop use for festival events. Social media users widely shared the notice, raising confusion among parents and school administrations. Authorities have categorically denied the authenticity of the notification.
Mudassir Riaz Malik told Geo News Pakistan that his department issued no directive to close schools during the stated period. He confirmed the document did not originate from the School Education Department.
صوبہ پنجاب میں تمام سرکاری و غیر سرکاری سکول بسنت فیسٹیول کی وجہ سے 1/2/26 تا 10/2/26 تک بند رہیں گے، نوٹیفکیشن جاری pic.twitter.com/JnDVQL2Tde
— Mohammad Hayat (@mofarooka) January 27, 2026Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat also rejected the claims. He clarified that Punjab has not announced province-wide school holidays for Basant and confirmed that all schools will remain open.
The minister added that Basant activities fall on Saturday and Sunday, which are already regular weekly holidays, making additional closures unnecessary.
The Basant Festival is only allowed in Lahore District from 6-8 February. pic.twitter.com/IOk5w8Ucxl
— Punjab IT Board (@PunjabITBoard_) January 27, 2026Noor ul Huda, the minister’s public relations officer, echoed the denial. He explained that any local holiday declared for February 6 or 7 would fall under the authority of the concerned deputy commissioner, not the School Education Department.
An independent digital analysis using Attestiv assigned the document a Tamper Score of 93. The score indicates a strong likelihood that the notification was generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence tools.
Officials urged the public to verify information through official government channels and avoid sharing unverified documents on social media.
