Punjab Finance Department has directed that all government salaries and pensions for May will be released on 21 May, ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday period this year.
The provincial government approved this early disbursement to allow employees and pensioners to manage their household and festive expenses well before the religious celebrations begin.
All relevant government departments have received formal instructions to process these payments on time, ensuring no delays affect employees and pensioners across the province.
Both the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and commercial banks have been officially directed to facilitate smooth and timely processing of all salary and pension payments province-wide.
Holiday schedule
Pakistan and Muslim communities worldwide are preparing for Eid ul Adha 2026, with citizens keen to finalise their travel and celebration plans around the expected holiday schedule.
The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, confirmed that the moon sighting committee will formally convene on 17 May to determine the start of Zul-Hijjah.
Initial estimates indicate that citizens may receive between four and five consecutive days off, though the precise dates depend entirely on the official Zul-Hijjah moon sighting outcome.
Under the first scenario, if the moon is sighted on 17 May, Eid ul Adha could fall on 27 May, a Wednesday, extending through Friday 29 May and the weekend to 31 May.
Under the second scenario, if Zul-Hijjah runs its full thirty days, Eid would fall on Thursday 28 May, producing a four-day holiday when combined with Friday 29 May and the weekend.
