Islamabad, August 21, 2026: It’s now official. The Cabinet Division has issued a formal notification confirming that Wednesday, August 26, 2026 will be observed as a public holiday across Pakistan on account of Eid Miladun Nabi the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), falling on the 12th of Rabi-ul-Awwal, 1448 AH.
The notification, numbered 10-01/2026-Min-II and dated 21st August, 2026, was issued by the Cabinet Secretariat’s Cabinet Division and signed by Cabinet Secretary Kamran Ali Afzal, with Deputy Secretary (Ministerial) Mariam Mumtaz countersigning. It states that “the Prime Minister has been pleased to declare 26th August, 2026 (Wednesday) as a public holiday on the occasion of Eid Milad-un-Nabi.”
What the Notification Says
The notification builds on the Cabinet Division’s earlier circular (No. 10-01/2025-Min-II, dated 19th January, 2026), which had laid out the full list of public and optional holidays for the year. This latest notification formally confirms the specific date for Eid Miladun Nabi, removing any earlier uncertainty around a possible shift to August 24 or 25 due to moon sighting.
The notice has been directed for “wide publicity through all major English and Urdu dailies and electronic media,” and copies have been forwarded to a long list of government offices including federal ministers, the Attorney General, the Auditor General, the Chief Election Commissioner, chief secretaries of all provinces, AJK and Gilgit-Baltistan, the Inspector General of Police Islamabad, the State Bank of Pakistan, the Registrars of the Supreme Court, Federal Constitutional Court, Federal Shariat Court and Islamabad High Court, among many others.
What This Means for the Public
With the notification now official, schools, government offices, banks and most private businesses will remain closed nationwide on August 26. This follows what was already a favourable month for public holidays Independence Day on August 14 fell on a Friday, giving people a three-day weekend, and the Eid Miladun Nabi holiday adds a second notable day off before August closes out.
How the Day Is Observed
Eid Miladun Nabi is among the most significant dates on Pakistan’s religious calendar. It typically begins with an official 31-gun salute in Islamabad and a 21-gun salute in each provincial capital. Government buildings fly the national flag, and mosques, public buildings and homes are decorated and illuminated at night. Seerat conferences are held at federal and provincial levels, where scholars discuss the life and teachings of the Prophet (PBUH), alongside Naat and Quran recitation competitions held in many cities.
Areas like Lahore’s Walled City and Karachi’s Saddar are known for particularly vibrant night-time gatherings and processions around this date.
Regional Context
Pakistan isn’t alone in marking the date around this time the United Arab Emirates has separately announced its own public holiday for Friday, August 28, 2026, covering both public and private sector employees, according to the UAE government’s media office.
With the Cabinet Division’s notification now formally issued, the date is locked in, and provincial governments including Punjab, which has already outlined special arrangements are expected to finalise their own local plans for the day in the coming days.
