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: 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)
