Notification / OM No.
F.No. 10-2/2022-Min-II
Dated:
23-December-2022
Notification Issued By:
CABINET SECRETARIAT, CABINET DIVISION, GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
F.No. 10-2/2022-Min-II
GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
CABINET SECRETARIAT
CABINET DIVISION
Islamabad, the 23rd December, 2022
CIRCULAR
Subject: PUBLIC AND OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR 2023
The Public and Optional Holidays regarding festivals of Muslims and Minorities in Pakistan for the Calendar Year 2023 would be as under:-
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
| Sr.No# | Name of Occasion | Days | Dates During year 2023 |
| 1 | Kashmir Day | Sunday | 5th February 2023 |
| 2 | Pakistan Day | Thursday | 23rd March 2023 |
| 3 | Eid-ul-Fitr (1st Shawal 1444 A.H.) | Saturday, Sunday, and Monday | 22nd April 2023, 23rd April 2023, 24th April 2023 |
| 4 | Labour Day | Monday | 1st May 2023 |
| 5 | Eid-ul-Azha (10th Zil Hajj 1444 A.H.) | Thursday, Friday, and Saturday | 29th June 2023, 30th June 2023, 1st July 2023 |
| 6 | Ashura (9th & 10th Moharram 1445 A.H.) | Thursday & Friday | 27th July 2023, 28th July 2023 |
| 7 | Independence Day | Monday | 14th August 2023 |
| 8 | Eid Milad-un-Nabi (12th Rabi-ul-Awal 1445 A.H) | Thursday | 28th September 2023 |
| 9 | Allama Iqbal Day | Thursday | 9th November 2023 |
| 10 | Quaid e Azam Day/ Christmas | Monday | 25th December 2023 |
| 11 | Day After Christmas | Tuesday | 26th December 2023 (For Christians Only) |
2.                The following will be Bank Holidays. However, on these days the Banks/DFIs/MFBs will remain closed for public but NOT for their employees:
| Sr. NO# | Day/Date |
| 01 | 2nd January 2023 (Monday) |
| 02 | 22nd March 2023 (Wednesday) Corresponding to 1st Ramazan 1444 A.H. for deduction of zakat (Subject to Appearance of the moon) |
| 03 | 3rd July 2023 (Monday) |
OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS
| Sr. No. | Name of Occasion | Day | Date |
| 01 | New Year Day | Sunday | 1st January 2023 |
| 02 | Basant Punchami | Thursday | 26th January 2023 |
| 03 | Shivaratri | Saturday | 18th February 2023 |
| 04 | Shab-e-Meraj (27th Rajab 145 A.H.) | Saturday | 18th February 2023 |
| 05 | Holi | Monday | 6th March 2023 |
| 06 | Dulhandi | Tuesday | 7th March 2023 |
| 07 | Shab-e-Barat (15th Shaban 1445 A.H.) | Wednesday | 8th March 2023 |
| 08 | Good Friday | Friday | 7th April 2023 |
| 09 | Day After Easter Sunday | Monday | 10th April 2023 |
| 10 | Baisakhi | Friday | 14th April 2023 |
| 11 | Eid-e-Rizwan (Bahai’s Community Only) | Friday | 21st April 2023 |
| 12 | Buddha Purnima | Friday | 7th July 2023 |
| 13 | Nauroze (Parsi’s New year) | Wednesday | 16th August 2023 |
| 14 | Birthday of Lord Zoroaster (Khordad Sal) | Monday | 21st August 2023 |
| 15 | Chehlum (20th Safar 1445 A.H.) | Wednesday | 6th September 2023 |
| 16 | Janam Ashtami | Thursday | 7th September 2023 |
| 17 | Durga Puja | Monday | 23rd October 2023 |
| 18 | Dussehra | Tuesday | 24th October 2023 |
| 19 | Giyarvee Shareef (11th Rabl-us-Sani 1445 A.H.) | Friday | 27th October 2023 |
| 20 | Birthday of Guru Valmik Swami Jee | Saturday | 28th October 2023 |
| 21 | Diwali | Sunday | 12th November 2023 |
| 22 | Guru Nanak Dev Jee Birthday | Monday | 27th November 20 |
Note:
- In case of Muslim Festivals, the dates of Holidays are based on anticipated dates and are subject to appearance of moon for which a separate notification will be issued by Cabinet Division.
3.  Government servants desiring to avail themselves of Optional Holidays shall take prior permission of the Head of Office concerned and no Government Servant shall be granted more than one optional holiday in the case of Muslims and three optional holidays for Non-Muslims in a calendar year.
4. The grant of this concession should not result in any dislocation of work. In the case of Muslim optional holidays, the number of persons permitted to avail optional holidays should be regulated in a manner so that adequate staff is available for proper continuance of the work. The optional holidays are denominational and may be allowed at the discretion of the Head of Office, provided that work does not suffer.
5. A Government Servant should not ordinarily be refused an Optional Holiday that is of religious significance and the refusal is likely to decrease the number of such holidays to which he/she is entitled.
Section Officer (Min-II)
