List of Optional Holidays in Pakistan

Government of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan always provide and protect basic rights to all minorities. A few important Islamic days are also regarded as optional holidays for Muslims too. 

A limited number of optional holidays are granted to workers. Government employees may be granted one optional holiday in case of Muslims, and three optional holidays in case of Non-Muslims in a calendar year.

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.

Government Servants desiring to avail themselves of Optional Holidays shall take prior permission of the Head of the Office concerned. The Optional Holidays are denominational and may be allowed at the discretion of the Head of Office, provided the state of work permit.

The grant of this concession should not result in any dislocation of work. In the case of Muslims optional holidays, the number of persons permitted to avail optional holidays should be regulated in such a manner so as to leave adequate staff for the proper continuance of work.

Sr.  No.	Name of Occasion	Dates	Details
1	Shab-e-Meraj	27th Rajab	In the remembrance of the journey of Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) to heavens. Details are given in Surah Al-Isra of Quran-e-Pak and Hadith.
2	Shab-e-Barat	15th Shaban	It is regarded as a night when the fortunes of men for the coming year are decided and when God may forgive sinners.
3	Chehlum	20th Safar	It is a Shia Muslim religious observance that occurs forty days after the Day of Ashura. It commemorates the martyrdom of Husayn ibn Ali (RA)
4	New Year Day	1st January
5	Good Friday	It is observed on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday
6	Easter	Variable date. On a Sunday of April each year
7	Eid-e-Rizwan (Bahai’s Community Only)	21st April
8	Nouroze (parsi’s New Year Day)	Usually on 21 March (May also be on 20 or 22 March)
9	Buddha Purnima	30th April
10	Birthday of Lord Zoroaster (Khordad Sal)	In August
11	Guru Nanak’s Birthday	On the full-moon day in the Punjabi month of Katak, (October–November)	Guru Nanak (29 November 1469 – 10 October 1539) was the founder of Sikhism
12	Birthday of Guru Valmiki Swami Ji	In october	He is the author of Ramayana. Also known as Adi Kawi (first poet).
13	Basant Punchami	Vasant Panchami is celebrated every year on the fifth day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month of Magha, which typically falls in late January or February.
14	Shivaratri	13th night/14th day of Hindu month Magha (February/March, )
15	Holi	Starting on the evening of the Full Moon day falling in the Hindu Calendar month of Phalgun (which falls somewhere between the end of February and the middle of March)
16	Dhulandi	In March
17	Baisakhi/ Vaisakhi	14th April. It is a historical and religious festival in Sikhism and Hinduism which is usually celebrated on 13 or 14 April every year.
18	Janam Ashtami	on the eighth day in the month of Bhadrapad of the Hindu Calendar (in August or September)
19	Durga Puja	It is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin (typically September or October)
20	Dussehra	It is observed on the tenth day in the Hindu calendar month of Ashvin (which typically falls in the months of September and October)
21	Diwali	One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism which generally falls between mid-October and mid-November.

Following is a circular of Government of Pakistan regarding Optional Holidays: