KARACHI: The Government of Sindh has declared March 23, 2026, a public holiday across the province in celebration of Pakistan Day. According to a notification issued by the Services, General Administration and Coordination Department, the holiday will be observed on Monday, March 23, throughout Sindh.
All government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, and local councils operating under the Government of Sindh will remain closed on this day. However, essential services will continue their regular operations.
Pakistan Day is celebrated annually on March 23 to commemorate the adoption of the Lahore Resolution in 1940, which called for the establishment of a separate homeland for Muslims in the subcontinent. The day is marked across the country with national ceremonies and official events.
The government has issued a notification from the Services, General Administration, and Coordination Department announcing a four-day holiday for Eid al-Fitr. This holiday will take place from Friday, March 20, to Monday, March 23, allowing the public an extended break to prepare for the festivities.
This year, Ramazan is expected to last a full 30 days, with Eid-ul-Fitr likely to be on Saturday, March 21. However, the final confirmation of the date will come after the meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
According to Anjum Nazir, the Deputy Director of the Meteorological Department, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet in Islamabad on March 19. While the official moon sighting will determine the exact date of Eid, scientific predictions indicate that the Eid moon may not be visible on that day, which could impact the final declaration of the holiday.
Read also: Eid-ul-Fitr 2026: March 20 or 21? Latest moon sighting predictions revealed
The International Astronomical Centre has issued a new prediction regarding the sighting of the Shawwal moon, which marks the end of Ramadan and the beginning of Eid al-Fitr.
The centre predicts that countries that began fasting on February 18 will conduct moon sighting on March 18 while countries that started fasting on February 19 will search for the Shawwal moon on March 19.
The centre announced that countries planning to search for the moon on March 18 will face difficulties because the moon will disappear from view before sunrise and a lunar conjunction will happen after sunset. The countries will observe Eid-ul-Fitr on March 20 based on their moon sighting practices.
