What Are The Public Holidays in Pakistan in 2026?

List of Public Holidays in Pakistan (2026)

Pakistan observes a mix of fixed national days and Islamic religious holidays that follow the lunar calendar. Below is an indicative list of the main nationwide public holidays in 2026 to help you plan staffing and leave for your Pakistan-based team.

Do Employers Have to Provide Paid Leave on Public Holidays?

Yes, under Pakistan’s labour laws, public holidays that are officially declared by the federal or relevant provincial government are generally treated as paid days off for employees, provided the employee is otherwise entitled to weekly paid rest and has not been absent without cause. In practice, most formal-sector employers treat all gazetted public holidays as paid leave days.

Islamic holidays such as Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, Ashura and Eid Milad-un-Nabi are based on lunar sighting, so the exact dates are confirmed only shortly before the holiday. You should wait for official notifications from the federal or provincial government and update your internal holiday calendar accordingly.

Part-time employees are usually entitled to paid public holidays on a pro-rated basis if the holiday falls on a day they would normally work. If a public holiday falls on a weekly rest day (often Sunday) or during an employee’s approved annual leave, many employers either provide an additional paid day off or treat the holiday separately from annual leave, although specific entitlements can vary by province and sector. You should check the applicable Shops and Establishments Ordinance or Industrial and Commercial Employment Ordinance for your location.

If employees are required to work on a public holiday, they are typically entitled to a compensatory day off with pay on another day, or to premium pay for the hours worked, depending on the governing statute or collective agreement. To stay compliant, your company should set out clear rules in employment contracts and policies, aligned with the minimum standards in Pakistan’s labour legislation.

Legal Penalties for Not Providing Paid Holiday Leave

Failure to grant or correctly pay public holiday leave can expose your company to labour inspections, fines and back-pay orders. Labour regulation and enforcement in Pakistan are largely provincial, but labour inspectors and labour courts can investigate complaints and order employers to rectify underpayments or unlawful denials of holidays.

Penalties may include monetary fines per violation, payment of arrears for unpaid holiday wages, and in some cases additional compensation or damages. Repeated or wilful non-compliance can increase the risk of more severe sanctions and reputational damage, especially for multinational employers operating under internal compliance standards.

Common employer mistakes include treating gazetted holidays as unpaid leave, failing to provide compensatory rest or premium pay when employees work on a public holiday, and applying inconsistent rules between permanent and contract staff. Because rules can differ between provinces and between industrial and commercial establishments, you should obtain local legal advice and keep copies of all official holiday notifications that apply to your operations.

How Do Holidays Affect Overtime Thresholds?

In Pakistan, public holidays interact with standard working time and overtime rules set out in federal and provincial labour laws. Hours worked on a public holiday are generally treated more protectively than ordinary working hours. Where an employee is required to work on a declared public holiday, many provincial laws and common practice require either premium pay (often at least double the ordinary rate) or a paid substitute day off, in addition to normal wages.

Overtime thresholds are usually calculated based on daily and weekly limits. If an employee works on a public holiday in addition to their normal weekly hours, those hours can count as overtime and attract the applicable overtime premium on top of any holiday premium, depending on the statute or collective agreement. Because the exact multipliers and thresholds can vary by province, sector and category of worker, you should confirm the applicable rules for your establishment and document them clearly in contracts and policies.

To reduce risk, many multinational employers in Pakistan adopt a conservative approach: they treat all hours worked on a public holiday as overtime at a premium rate and also offer a compensatory day off. While this may go beyond the statutory minimum in some cases, it simplifies administration and supports employee engagement.

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