Latest
SED Punjab Orders B-Form Entry and Correction in SIS Within 10 DaysNADRA Fee Structure 2026: CNIC, Smart NIC, B-Form, NICOP and POC FeesSelection of CEOs, DEOs and DDEOs 2026 Punjab — Apply via HRMIS by 17 October
HisaabKit
Open Assistant

Punjab Public and Optional Holidays 2026 — S&GAD Notification (19 January 2026)

Full list of Punjab public, optional and bank holidays 2026 notified by S&GAD on 19 Jan 2026, with dates, days and optional holiday rules for employees.

By Khyrat Hussain · · Updated 31 October 2026

Jurisdiction
Punjab
Department
Services & General Administration Department
Document type
Notification
Issuing authority
Chief Secretary, Punjab (Services and General Administration Department, Welfare Wing)
Reference number
No. SOW-I(S&GAD)2-1/2025
Original issue date
2026-01-19
Effective date
2026-01-19
HisaabKit card: Punjab public, bank and optional holidays 2026 notified by S&GAD on 19 January 2026
Punjab Holidays 2026: Public, Optional & Bank Holidays List

Key points

  • Public and optional holidays declared by the Federal Government apply to all Punjab Government offices for 2026.
  • 12 public holidays covering 17 days; Day after Christmas (26 December) is for Christians only.
  • 3 bank holidays: banks, DFIs and MFBs are closed for the public but not for their employees.
  • 22 optional holidays for different religious communities.
  • Dates of Muslim festivals are anticipated; separate notifications are issued after moon sighting.
  • Optional holidays need prior permission of the Head of office: one per year for Muslims, three per year for non-Muslims.
  • Deputy Commissioners (except DC Lahore) can declare two local holidays in their districts in 2026; for Lahore, the Provincial Government declares them.

1.Quick answer

The Punjab Government will observe 12 public holidays in 2026, covering 17 days, in all offices under its administrative control. The list was notified by the Services and General Administration Department on 19 January 2026, together with 3 bank holidays and 22 optional holidays. Muslim festival dates depend on moon sighting.

1.1.Key facts

  • Notification No.: SOW-I(S&GAD)2-1/2025
  • Date: 19 January 2026
  • Issued by: Chief Secretary, Punjab (S&GAD, Welfare Wing)
  • Applies to: Offices under the administrative control of the Government of the Punjab
  • Period: Calendar year 2026
  • Public holidays: 12 occasions (17 days)
  • Bank holidays: 3
  • Optional holidays: 22
Page 1 of Punjab S&GAD notification of 19 January 2026 listing public, bank and optional holidays for 2026
Notification No. SOW-I(S&GAD)2-1/2025 dated 19 January 2026, page 1: holiday lists.

2.Public holidays 2026

  1. Kashmir Day — Thursday, 5 February 2026
  2. Pakistan Day — Monday, 23 March 2026
  3. Eid-ul-Fitr* (1st Shawal 1447 AH) — Saturday to Monday, 21, 22 and 23 March 2026
  4. Labour Day — Friday, 1 May 2026
  5. Youm-e-Takbeer — Thursday, 28 May 2026
  6. Eid-ul-Azha* (10th Zilhaj 1447 AH) — Wednesday to Friday, 27, 28 and 29 May 2026
  7. Ashura* (9th and 10th Muharram 1448 AH) — Wednesday and Thursday, 24 and 25 June 2026
  8. Independence Day — Friday, 14 August 2026
  9. Eid Milad-un-Nabi* (12 Rabi-ul-Awal 1448 AH) — Tuesday, 25 August 2026
  10. Allama Iqbal Day — Monday, 9 November 2026
  11. Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas — Friday, 25 December 2026
  12. Day after Christmas (for Christians only) — Saturday, 26 December 2026

*Dates of Muslim festivals are anticipated and subject to the appearance of the moon. A separate notification is issued for each.

3.Bank holidays 2026

On these days banks, DFIs and MFBs remain closed for the public but not for their employees:

  1. Thursday, 1 January 2026
  2. Wednesday, 18 February 2026 — 1st Ramazan 1447 AH, for deduction of Zakat (subject to moon sighting)
  3. Wednesday, 1 July 2026

4.Optional holidays 2026

  1. New Year Day — Thursday, 1 January
  2. Shab-e-Meraj (27th Rajab 1447 AH) — Saturday, 17 January
  3. Basant Punchami — Friday, 23 January
  4. Shab-e-Barat (15th Shaban 1447 AH) — Wednesday, 4 February
  5. Shivaratri — Monday, 16 February
  6. Dulhandi — Tuesday, 3 March
  7. Holi — Wednesday, 4 March
  8. Good Friday — Friday, 3 April
  9. Easter / Day after Easter Sunday — Sunday and Monday, 5 and 6 April
  10. Baisakhi — Tuesday, 14 April
  11. Eid-e-Rizwan (Bahai community only) — Tuesday, 21 April
  12. Buddha Purnima — Sunday, 24 May
  13. Chehlum (20th Safar 1448 AH) — Tuesday, 4 August
  14. Nauroze (Parsi New Year Day) — Saturday, 15 August
  15. Birthday of Lord Zoroaster (Khordad Sal) — Thursday, 20 August
  16. Krishna Janam Ashtami — Friday, 4 September
  17. Giyarvee Shareef (11th Rabi-us-Sani 1448 AH) — Wednesday, 23 September
  18. Durga Puja — Monday, 19 October
  19. Dussehra — Tuesday, 20 October
  20. Birthday of Guru Valmik Sawami Jee — Monday, 26 October
  21. Diwali — Monday, 9 November
  22. Birthday of Guru Nanak Dev Jee — Tuesday, 24 November
Page 2 of Punjab S&GAD holidays notification 2026 with optional holiday rules and local holiday powers of Deputy Commissioners
Notification No. SOW-I(S&GAD)2-1/2025, page 2: rules for optional and local holidays.

5.Rules for optional holidays

  • Prior permission: An employee must take prior permission from the Head of office.
  • Limit: A Muslim employee can avail no more than one optional holiday, and a non-Muslim employee no more than three, in a calendar year.
  • No disruption of work: For Muslim optional holidays, the number of staff allowed leave should be regulated so that enough staff remain for the work.
  • Discretion of Head of office: Optional holidays are denominational and may be allowed if the state of work permits.
  • Religious significance: An optional holiday of religious significance to an employee should not ordinarily be refused if refusing it would reduce the holidays he or she is entitled to.

6.Local holidays

Deputy Commissioners in Punjab, except DC Lahore, can declare two local holidays in their districts during 2026. For Lahore District, the Provincial Government will declare the local holidays.

This is a HisaabKit summary of an official notification. Refer to the original notification and the separate moon-based notifications for the dates actually observed.

Who this applies to

- Employees of all offices under the administrative control of the Government of the Punjab - Heads of offices who sanction optional holidays - Deputy Commissioners declaring local holidays in their districts - Banks, DFIs and MFBs (for the bank holidays listed)

Important dates

  • Cabinet Division circular No. 10-01/2024-Min-II on federal holidays:
  • Punjab S&GAD notification issued:
  • Period the holidays apply:

Official sources

Chief Secretary, Punjab (Services and General Administration Department, Welfare Wing)

Related calculators and reading

Frequently asked questions

How many public holidays are there in Punjab in 2026?

The S&GAD notification lists 12 public holidays covering 17 days, including 3 days of Eid-ul-Fitr, 3 days of Eid-ul-Azha and 2 days of Ashura. The Day after Christmas is for Christians only.

How many optional holidays can a Punjab government employee take?

A Muslim employee can take one optional holiday and a non-Muslim employee three in a calendar year, with prior permission of the Head of office.

Is 9 November 2026 a holiday in Punjab?

Yes. Allama Iqbal Day, Monday 9 November 2026, is a public holiday in the notification.

Which public holidays are left in Punjab after October 2026?

Allama Iqbal Day (9 November), Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas (25 December) and, for Christians only, the Day after Christmas (26 December).

Are bank holidays also holidays for government offices?

The notification lists them as bank holidays only. Banks, DFIs and MFBs stay closed for the public, but their employees work.

Are the Eid and Ashura dates final?

No. Dates of Muslim festivals are anticipated and depend on moon sighting; the government issues a separate notification for each.

Can a Deputy Commissioner declare a local holiday?

Yes. Each Deputy Commissioner in Punjab, except DC Lahore, can declare two local holidays in the district during 2026. Lahore’s local holidays are declared by the Provincial Government.

Can the Head of office refuse an optional holiday?

Optional holidays are at the Head of office’s discretion if work permits. However, an optional holiday of religious significance to the employee should not ordinarily be refused if that would reduce the holidays he or she is entitled to.