If you live or work in Punjab, knowing the Punjab public holidays 2026 calendar in advance helps you plan everything from office leave to family travel. Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, follows the national public holiday calendar announced by the federal Cabinet Division, which means the holidays observed in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad and Multan are the same gazetted holidays observed across the country. In this guide, we walk through every confirmed 2026 holiday, explain how the calendar is announced, and share practical planning tips for making the most of your days off.
How Punjab’s Holiday Calendar Works
Unlike some countries where regions set their own calendars, Punjab does not publish a fully separate holiday list. The federal government issues an annual notification listing public holidays for the coming year, and the Government of Punjab adopts it for all provincial government offices, schools and institutions. This keeps things simple: one national calendar, observed province-wide. Occasionally, the provincial government announces additional holidays for specific occasions — for example, to mark a significant provincial event — and these are communicated through official notifications closer to the date. When that happens, the announcement comes from the provincial Services and General Administration Department.
Confirmed Punjab Public Holidays 2026
Based on the officially announced national calendar, the following public holidays apply in Punjab during 2026. Dates for religious observances depend on moon sighting and are confirmed by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, so treat the tentative ones as provisional until officially announced.
- 5 February – Kashmir Day
- 21–23 March – Eid-ul-Fitr (tentative, subject to moon sighting; 23 March is also Pakistan Day)
- 1 May – Labour Day
- 27–29 May – Eid-ul-Azha (tentative, subject to moon sighting)
- 24–25 June – Ashura, 9th and 10th Muharram (tentative)
- 14 August – Independence Day
- 25 August – Eid Milad-un-Nabi (tentative)
- 9 November – Iqbal Day
- 25 December – Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas Day
- 26 December – Day after Christmas (for Christian employees)
What Closes on Public Holidays in Punjab
On gazetted public holidays, federal and provincial government offices, courts, public schools and most banks in Punjab remain closed. Private businesses and shops in major markets often close on the big religious and national holidays — particularly Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha and Independence Day — though many reopen in the afternoon or remain open in commercial areas. Public transport typically runs on a reduced holiday schedule, so check with local operators before travelling on a holiday. Hospitals and emergency services, of course, operate as normal, and many private clinics keep morning hours even on holidays.
Planning Around Punjab’s 2026 Holidays
The two Eid holidays are the longest breaks of the year in Punjab, and they are also when intercity transport is busiest, with many people travelling to their hometowns. If you plan to travel during Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Azha, book transport and accommodation early — bus and train seats out of Lahore sell out days in advance. For the fixed-date holidays like Independence Day, Labour Day and Iqbal Day, you can plan with confidence months ahead, since these never move. For moon-dependent holidays, keep an eye on the official Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announcement, which usually comes the evening before the expected date. A useful habit is to keep one or two annual leave days unbooked around each Eid, so you can extend the break once the exact dates are confirmed. Bookmark this page and check back — dates are updated as official announcements confirm them.