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Public Holidays in Pakistan 2026 – Official Dates & Sources

ByUzair ul haq
Public Holidays in pakistan

Pakistan’s 2026 holiday calendar includes nationwide public holidays, Islamic holidays whose dates can change after moon sighting, and separate categories for bank and optional holidays. The national schedule below is kept current through the VisaBoards holiday database, while the sections that follow explain how Pakistan confirms religious dates, how bank holidays differ from public holidays, and which holidays are not nationwide days off.

Next Public Holiday in Pakistan

Date Day Holiday Status
September 11, 2026 Friday Allama Iqbal Day Confirmed

Public Holidays in Pakistan 2026

Date Day Holiday Status
January 5, 2026 Monday Labour Day Confirmed
March 20, 2026 Friday Eid-ul-Fitr Confirmed
March 21, 2026 Saturday Eid-ul-Fitr Confirmed
March 23, 2026 Monday Pakistan Day Confirmed
May 2, 2026 Saturday Kashmir Solidarity Day Confirmed
May 26, 2026 Tuesday Eid-ul-Azha Confirmed
May 27, 2026 Wednesday Eid-ul-Azha Confirmed
May 28, 2026 Thursday Eid-ul-Azha Confirmed
May 28, 2026 Thursday Youm-e-Takbeer Confirmed
June 25, 2026 Thursday Ashura Confirmed
June 26, 2026 Friday Ashura Confirmed
August 14, 2026 Friday Independence Day Confirmed
August 26, 2026 Wednesday Eid Milad-un-Nabi Subject to Confirmation
September 11, 2026 Friday Allama Iqbal Day Confirmed
December 25, 2026 Friday Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas Confirmed

The main schedule contains nationwide public holidays. Bank-only closures, optional holidays for government employees, and holidays limited to a particular community or locality are treated separately so that they are not mistaken for national public holidays.

How Are Islamic Public Holiday Dates Confirmed in Pakistan?

Several public holidays in Pakistan follow the Islamic lunar calendar. The Cabinet Division’s 2026 public and optional holidays circular gives anticipated dates for Muslim festivals but states that these dates are subject to the appearance of the moon and that separate notifications will be issued.

This distinction matters because an annual holiday calendar may not contain the final dates. In 2026, later government notifications changed the initially anticipated periods for Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha and Ashura.

Eid-ul-Fitr 2026

The annual calendar initially anticipated Eid-ul-Fitr holidays for 21 to 23 March. A later government declaration set the public holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr on 20 and 21 March 2026. The later notification takes precedence over the provisional dates in the annual calendar.

Eid-ul-Azha 2026

The annual calendar initially anticipated Eid-ul-Azha for 27 to 29 May. The Cabinet Division’s subsequent Eid-ul-Azha notification declared 26, 27 and 28 May 2026 as public holidays.

Ashura 2026

The annual calendar originally anticipated 24 and 25 June for Ashura. The final Cabinet Division notification for Ashura instead declared 25 and 26 June 2026 as public holidays.

Eid Milad-un-Nabi 2026

The annual Cabinet calendar anticipated Eid Milad-un-Nabi on 25 August 2026, but that entry was expressly subject to moon sighting. Following the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon-sighting meeting, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced that 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1448 would begin on 15 August 2026, placing 12 Rabi-ul-Awwal and Eid Milad-un-Nabi on 26 August 2026.

Because the annual Cabinet circular requires a separate notification for moon-dependent Muslim festivals, the public-holiday status of 26 August should remain subject to official Cabinet confirmation until the relevant holiday notification is issued.

Bank Holidays in Pakistan in 2026

Bank holidays are not the same as nationwide public holidays. The Cabinet Division’s annual circular identifies three bank holidays for 2026. On these dates, banks, development finance institutions and microfinance banks are closed for public dealing, but the circular states that the holidays do not apply to their employees.

DateBank HolidayWhat It Means
1 January 2026Bank HolidayClosed for public dealing
18 February 2026Bank Holiday for Zakat DeductionClosed for public dealing
1 July 2026Bank HolidayClosed for public dealing

The State Bank of Pakistan issues its own circulars implementing these closures. Its 2026 circular register includes the February bank holiday and the July bank holiday separately.

Optional Holidays in Pakistan

Pakistan’s Cabinet Division also publishes a separate list of optional holidays. These should not be treated as nationwide public holidays.

The 2026 optional-holiday calendar includes observances associated with Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Bahá’í and Buddhist communities. Examples include Shab-e-Meraj, Shab-e-Barat, Holi, Good Friday, Easter, Baisakhi, Buddha Purnima, Nauroze, Diwali and the Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

For federal government employees, optional holidays are subject to prior permission and administrative requirements. The Cabinet circular states that a Muslim government servant may be granted one optional holiday during the calendar year, while a non-Muslim government servant may be granted up to three optional holidays according to the employee’s religious denomination.

Is the Day After Christmas a Nationwide Public Holiday?

No. The Cabinet Division’s 2026 calendar lists 26 December as the Day after Christmas specifically for Christians. It should therefore not be classified as a nationwide public holiday applying to the general population.

Regional and Local Holidays in Pakistan

Not every official closure announced in Pakistan applies nationwide. Separate notifications can apply to a particular province, territory, city, institution or government office.

Regional and local holidays should therefore be checked against the scope of the individual notification. A holiday applying only to Islamabad, a province or a specific institution should not be added to Pakistan’s nationwide public-holiday calendar unless the government notice expressly gives it national application.

Long Weekends in Pakistan in 2026

For employees whose normal weekly days off are Saturday and Sunday, several 2026 public holidays create or contribute to longer breaks. These are calendar-based planning opportunities, not additional government-declared holidays.

HolidayPotential BreakLength
Eid-ul-Fitr and Pakistan Day20-23 March 20264 days
Labour Day1-3 May 20263 days
Ashura25-28 June 20264 days
Independence Day14-16 August 20263 days
Allama Iqbal Day7-9 November 20263 days
Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas25-27 December 20263 days

These examples assume a Saturday-Sunday weekend. Workplaces operating on different schedules may not receive the same continuous break.

Who Announces Public Holidays in Pakistan?

The Government of Pakistan’s Cabinet Division publishes the federal annual public and optional holiday calendar and issues later notifications when an announced holiday period needs to be confirmed or changed.

For moon-dependent Islamic occasions, the annual calendar may contain an anticipated date first. The final religious date is determined through Pakistan’s moon-sighting process, after which the relevant government holiday notification can supersede the original estimate.

Are Banks Closed on Public Holidays in Pakistan?

Yes, banks are generally closed when the State Bank of Pakistan observes a government-declared public holiday. Pakistan also has separate bank holidays on which banks are closed for public dealing even though those days are not nationwide public holidays for the general population.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the next public holiday in Pakistan?

The next public holiday changes throughout the year. Use the dynamic “Next Public Holiday in Pakistan” section near the top of this page for the current holiday, date and countdown.

Are Islamic public holiday dates in Pakistan fixed in advance?

No. Islamic holidays follow the lunar calendar, and the Cabinet Division may initially publish anticipated dates. Dates marked as moon-dependent can later be confirmed or changed through separate official notifications.

Why can Pakistan’s final Eid dates differ from the annual holiday calendar?

The annual calendar is published before some lunar dates can be definitively established. When moon sighting produces a different date, a later official notification can replace the earlier anticipated holiday period.

Is Eid Milad-un-Nabi on 25 or 26 August in 2026?

The Cabinet Division’s annual calendar anticipated 25 August 2026, but that date was subject to moon sighting. The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee subsequently announced that 1 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1448 begins on 15 August, which places Eid Milad-un-Nabi on 26 August 2026. The nationwide public-holiday status should be treated as subject to the separate Cabinet notification required for moon-dependent Muslim festivals.

Are optional holidays the same as public holidays in Pakistan?

No. Optional holidays are a separate category. For federal government employees, they are subject to the rules, religious denomination and prior-permission requirements set out in the Cabinet Division circular.

Are bank holidays the same as public holidays?

No. A bank holiday may close banks and financial institutions for public dealing without making the date a general public holiday. The Cabinet Division expressly states that employees of banks, DFIs and MFBs still attend on the designated bank holidays in its annual calendar.

Is 26 December a public holiday for everyone in Pakistan?

No. The 2026 federal holiday circular lists the Day after Christmas on 26 December for Christians only. It is not a nationwide public holiday for the general population.

Can local holidays differ from Pakistan’s national holiday calendar?

Yes. A separate notification may have a limited geographical or institutional scope. The wording and jurisdiction of the notification should be checked before treating a local closure as a nationwide public holiday.

Official Sources for Public Holidays in Pakistan

Uzair ul haq

CEO Visaboards & IT Consultant

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