F.No. 10-1/2021-Min-II GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN CABINET SECRETARIAT CABINET DIVISION Islamabad, the 17th December, 2021 CIRCULAR Subject: PUBLIC AND OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR 2022 The Public and Optional Holidays regarding festivals of Muslims and Minorities in Pakistan for the Calendar Year 2022 would be as under:- PUBLIC HOLIDAYS Sr.# Name of Occasion Days Dates during year 2022 1 Kashmir Day Saturday 5th February, 2022 2 Pakistan Day Wednesday 23rd March, 2022 3 Labour Day Sunday 1st May, 2022 4 Eid-ui-Fitr,(1st Shawal 1443 A.H.) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 3rd , 4th , 5th May, 2022 5 Ed-ul-Azha, (10th Zil Haj 1443 A.H.) Sunday, Monday, Tuesday 10th, 11th , 12th July, 2022 6 Ashura (9th & 10th Moharram 1444 A.H.) Sunday, Monday 7th , 8th August, 2022 7 Independence Day Sunday 14th August, 2022 8 Eid Milad-un-Nabi (12th Rabi-ul- Awwal 1444 A.H) Sunday 9th October, 2022 9 Quaid- i -Azam Day/ Christmas Sunday 25th December, 2022 10 Day after Christmas Monday 26th December, 2022 (For Christians only) Sr.# Day/ Date 1 3rd January, 2022 (Monday) 2 4th April, 2022 (Monday) corresponding to 1st Ramazan 1443 A.H. for deduction of Zakat(subject to appearance of moon) 3 1st July, 2022 (Friday) OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS Sr.# Name of Occasion Days Dates during year 2022 1 New Year Day Saturday 1st January, 2022 2 Basant Punchami Saturday 5th February, 2022 3 Shivaratri Tuesday 1st March, 2022 4 Shab-e-Meraj (27th Rajab 1443 A.H) Tuesday 1st March, 2022 5 Holi Thursday 17th March, 2022 6 Dulhandi Friday 18th March, 2022 7 Shab-e-Barat (15th Shaban 1443 A.H) Friday 18th March, 2022 8 Baisakhi Thursday 14th April, 2022 9 Good Friday Friday 15th April, 2022 10 Easter/ Day After Easter Sunday Sunday, Monday 17th , 18th April, 2022 11 Eid-e-Rizwan (Bahai’s Community only) Thursday 21st April, 2022 12 Buddha Purnima Monday 16th May, 2022 13 Nauroze (Parsi’s New Year Day) Tuesday 16th August, 2022 14 Janam Ashtami Friday 19th August, 2022 15 Birthday of Lord Zoroaster (Khordad Sal) Sunday 21st August, 2022 16 Chehlum (20th Safar 1444 AH) Saturday 17th September, 2022 17 Durga Puja Monday 3rd October, 2022 18 Dussehra Wednesday 5th October, 2022 19 Birthday of Guru Valmik Sawami Ji Sunday 9th October, 2022 20 Diwali Monday 24th October, 2022 21 Giyarvee Shareef (11th Rabi- us-Sani 1444 A.H) Monday 7th November, 2022 22 Guru Nanak Dev Jee Birthday Tuesday 8th November, 2022 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-ll)