Move Intended to Ease Eid Preparations for Government Employees
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday instructed federal government departments to release March salaries and pensions ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, providing public servants with financial relief before the festival.
Following the premier’s directives, federal departments have begun processing payments to ensure salaries are distributed before Eid, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Last week, the Sindh government announced that March salaries, allowances, and pensions would be released in advance for Muslim employees and pensioners.
According to a letter from the Sindh Finance Department, all Muslim government employees and pensioners—including those on work-charged and contingent-paid establishments—will receive their full pay, allowances, and pensions for March on March 16, 2026.
The decision comes as Eid-ul-Fitr is expected to fall on March 20 or 21, depending on the sighting of the Shawwal moon. Experts, however, anticipate Eid will likely be observed on March 21, marking a 30-day Ramadan.
“The new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH is expected to be born on March 19, 2026, at 06:23 PST,” the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) stated. Suparco added that the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan will make the final decision on the crescent’s sighting and the official start of Eid across the country.
Separately, the federal government declared a two-day public holiday for Eid-ul-Fitr. According to a notification from the Cabinet Division, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif declared March 20 and March 21 as official holidays. The break applies to offices observing both five- and six-day workweeks.
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