Notification / OM No.
No. 01/01/2020-Public
Dated:
10-December-2020
Notification Issued By:
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR, GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
No. 01/01/2020-Public
GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN
MINISTRY OF INTERIOR
Islamabad, the 10th December, 2020
CIRCULAR
Subject: PUBLIC AND OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS FOR THE YEAR, 2021.
The Public and Optional holidays regarding festivals of Muslims and Minorities for the Calendar Year 2021 would be as under:
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
| Sr. | Name of Occasion | Days | Dates during the year 2021 |
| 1. | Kashmir Day | Friday | 5th February 2021 |
| 2. | Pakistan Day | Tuesday | 23rd March 2021 |
| 3. | Labour Day | Saturday, | 1st May 2021 |
| 4. | Eid-ul-Fitr, (1st Shawal 1441 A.H) | Friday, Saturday, Sunday | 14th , 15th, and 16th May 2021 |
| 5. | Eid-ul-Azha, (10th Zil Haj 1442 A.H) | Wednesday, Thursday and Friday | 21st July, 22nd, and 23rd July 2021 |
| 6. | Independence Day | Saturday | 14th August 2021 |
| 7. | Ashura (9th & 10th Moharram 1443 A.H) | Wednesday and Thursday | 18th & 19th August 2021 |
| 8. | Eid Milad-un-Nabi (12th Rabi-ul-Awwal 1443 A.H) | Tuesday | 19th October, 2021 |
| 9. | Quaid-e-Azam Day / Christmas | Saturday | 25th December 2021 |
| 10. | Day After Christmas | Sunday | 26th December 2021 (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 |
| 1. | 1st January 2021 (Friday) |
| 2. | 14th April 2021 (Wednesday) corresponding to 1st Ramazan 1442 AH, (Subject to the appearance of the moon). |
| 3. | 1st July 2021 (Thursday) |
NOTE:
- 1st July, 2021 (Thursday) 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 M/O Interior.
OPTIONAL HOLIDAYS
| Sr. No. | Name of Occasion | Days | Dates during the year 2021 |
| 1. | New Year Day | Friday | 1st January 2021 |
| 2. | Basant Punchami | Tuesday | 16th Feb 2021 |
| 3. | Shivaratri | Thursday | 11th March 2021 |
| 4. | Shab-e-Meraj (27 Rajab 1442 A.H) | Friday | 12th March 2021 |
| 5. | Holi | Sunday & Monday | 28th or 29th March 2021 |
| 6. | Dulhandi | Monday | 29th March 2021 |
| 7. | Shab-e-Barat (15th Shaban 1442 A.H)) | Monday | 29th March,2021 |
| 8. | Good Friday | Friday | 2nd April 2021 |
| 9. | Easter / Day After Easter Sunday | Sunday / Monday | 4th/5th April 2021 |
| 10. | Baisakhi | Wednesday | 14th April 2021 |
| 11. | Eid-e-Rizwan (Bahal’s Community only) | Wednesday | 21st April 2021 |
| 12. | Buddha Purnima | Wednesday | 26th May 2021 |
| 13. | Nauroze (Parsi’s New year day) | Monday | 16th August 2021 |
| 14. | Brithday of Lord Zoroaster Khordad Sal) | Saturday | 21st August 2021 |
| 15. | Janam Ashtami | Monday | 23rd August, 2021 |
| 16. | Chehlum (20th Safar 1443 AH) | Tuesday | 28th September 2021 |
| 17. | Durga Puja | Monday | 13th September 2021 |
| 18. | Dussehra | Wednesday | 15th September 2021 |
| 19. | Giyarvee Shareef (11th Rabi-Us-Sani 1443 AH) | Monday | 18th October 2021 |
| 20. | Birthday of Guru Valmik Sawami Ji | Wednesday | 20th October 2021 |
| 21. | Diwali | Thursday | 4th November 2021 |
| 22. | Guru Nanak Dev Jee Birthday | Thursday | 18th November 2021 |
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
5.        The optional holidays are denominational and may be allowed at the discretion of the Head of Office, provided that work does not suffer.
6.        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 she/he is entitled.
Deputy Secretary (Security)
