Eid ul Fitr holidays announced in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved two official Eid ul Fitr holidays, according to a notification issued by the Cabinet Division on Sunday.

As per the notification, the Eid ul Fitr holidays will be observed on March 20 and March 21 across government offices. The decision was formally approved by the prime minister before the Cabinet Division issued the official directive regarding the Eid ul Fitr holidays.

The notification states that all government offices operating on both five-day and six-day work schedules will remain closed on Friday and Saturday in observance of the Eid ul Fitr holidays.

However, the break will effectively be longer for government employees. Since March 22 falls on Sunday and March 23 is already a public holiday in Pakistan, officials will enjoy a four-day long weekend from Friday to Monday.

As a result, many public sector employees will benefit from an extended break around Eid holidays, combining the officially announced holidays with the weekend and the national holiday.

The announcement clarifies the schedule of Eid ul Fitr holidays for federal government offices, allowing employees to plan their celebrations accordingly.

Earlier, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had indicated that Eid 2026 in Pakistan is likely to fall on March 21, based on astronomical calculations regarding the Shawwal moon.

According to SUPARCO, the Shawwal moon will be born on March 19 at 6:23am. By sunset on the same day, the moon’s age will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes.

The space agency said that along Pakistan’s coastal areas, the time difference between sunset and moonset is expected to be around 28 minutes on March 19. However, despite this window, the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent that evening are considered low.

Based on these astronomical parameters, SUPARCO expects the first day of Shawwal 1447 AH to likely fall on Saturday, March 21, 2026, meaning Eid ul Fitr would be observed on that date in Pakistan.

The agency also noted that the final confirmation of the moon sighting will be announced by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, which is responsible for officially declaring the start of Islamic months in the country.