Federal Government announced Public And Optional Holidays For The Year 2016-Notification

Islamabad, the 26^th January, 2016

CIRCULAR

Subject:                       PUBLIC AND OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR, 2016

The Public, Optional and Festivals of Minorities holidays for the Calendar Year 2016 would be as under:

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Sr. No.	Name of Occasion	Days	Dates during year 2016
1	Kashmir Day	Friday	5th February, 2016
2	Pakistan Day	Wednesday	23rd March, 2016
3	Labor Day	Sunday	1st May, 2016
4	Eid-ul-Fitr, (1st Shawal 1437 A.H)	Wednesday, Thursday & Friday	6th, 7th,  and 8th July, 2016
5	Independence Day	Sunday	14th August, 2016
6	Eid-ul-Azha, (10th Zil Haj 1437 A.H)	Monday & Tuesday	12th & 13th September, 2016
7	Ashura (9th  & 10th  Moharrurn 1438 A.H)	Tuesday & Wednesday	11th & 12th  October, 2016
8	Eid Milad-un-Nabi (12 Rabi-ul- Awal 1438 A.H)	Monday	12th  December , 2016
9	Quaid-e-Azam Day/Christmas	Sunday	25th December, 2016
10	Day after Christmas	Monday	26th December, 2016 (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:

• 1^st January 2016 (Friday)
• 1^st July 2016 (Friday)
• 7^th July 2016 (Tuesday) corresponding to 1^st Ramzan 1437 A.H.

(Subject to appearance of moon).

Note:

Holidays for Muslims Festivals are subject to appearance of moon for which a separate Notification will be issued.

OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS

Sr. No.	Name of Occasion	Days	Dates during the year 2016
1	New Year Day	Friday	1st January, 2016
2	Giarhwin Sharief (11 Rabi-us-Sani 1437 A.H)	Friday	22nd January, 2016
3	Basant Punchami	Friday	12th February, 2016
4	Shivratri	Monday	7th March, 2016
5	Holi	Wednesday	23rd March, 2016
6	Dulhandi	Thursday	24th March, 2016
7	Good Friday	Friday	25th March, 2016
8	Easter/ Day After Easter	Sunday/ Monday	27th  and 28th March, 2016
9	Baisakhi	Thursday	14th April, 2016
10	Eid-e-Rizwan (Bahai’s Community only)	Thursday	21st April, 2016
11	Shab-e-Meraj (27 Rajab 1437 A.H)	Thursday	5th May, 2016
12	Buddha Purnima	Saturday	21st May, 2016
13	Shab-e-Barat (15 Shaban 1437 A.H)	Monday	23rd May, 2016
14	Nauroze (Parsi’s New Year Day)	Wednesday	17th August, 2016
15	Birthday of Lord Zoroaster (Khordad Sal)	Monday	22nd August, 2016
16	Janam Ashtami	Thursday	25th August, 2016
17	Durga Puja	Saturday	1st October, 2016
18	Dussehra	Tuesday	11th October, 2016
19	Diwali	Sunday	30th October, 2016
20	Guru Nanak’s Birthday	Monday	14th  November, 2016
21	Birthday Guru Valmik Sawami Jee	Wednesday	16th November, 2016
22	Chelum (20 Safar 1438 A.H)	Monday	21st November, 2016

Note:

• In case of Muslim Festivals the dates of Holidays are based on anticipated dates and are subject to appearance of Moon.

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 as to adequate staff is available for proper continuance of the work.

5. The Optional Holidays are denominational and may be allowed at the discretion of the Head of Office, provided that work is not suffered.

6. A Government Servant should not ordinarily be refused an Optional Holiday that is of religious significance to him and the refusal is likely to decrease the number of such holidays to which he is entitled.

SECTION OFFICER (Public)