ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decl­ared March 20 and March 21 as public holidays for offices on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, according to a cabinet division notification issued on Sunday.

“The prime minister has been pleased to dec­lare March 20 and 21, 2026 (Friday and Sat­urday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, both for offices obse­rving five- and six-day workweeks,” the notification stated.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Railways has decided to operate four special trains ahead of Eid from major stations to various destinations. The first will depart from Lahore for Karachi on Monday (today), the second will set off from Quetta for Rawalpindi on Tuesday, the third will depart from Karachi for Peshawar on March 17, and the fourth train will head from Karachi for Lahore on March 18.

The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Rese­arch Commission (Supa­rco) has forecast that Eidul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21 as the chances of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 remain low.

However, the final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal moon and Eidul Fitr will be made by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

Suparco noted the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee was the “sole competent authority to announce the beginning of Islamic months on credible witness testimonies and verified observations from across the country”.

Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department also predicted that Ramazan was likely to last 30 days this year and the Shawwal moon may not be visible on the evening of March 19, thereby Eidul Fitr is expected to commence on March 21.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2026