Iqbal Day Holiday: Is November 9 a Public Holiday in Pakistan?
Yes, it is a holiday. That is the short answer every student and office worker in Pakistan is searching for this week. The Iqbal Day holiday falls on Monday, November 9, and it is on the federal public holiday calendar, which means government offices, banks, schools and colleges across the country will be closed.
And because November 9 falls on a Monday this year, it joins Saturday and Sunday to make a three day weekend. Here is what the official calendar says, what will be closed, and what comes next on the holiday list.
Iqbal Day Holiday on Monday, November 9
The Cabinet Division issued the public and optional holiday calendar for the year, and it announces a public holiday on Monday, November 9 for Iqbal Day, the birth anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal. This is not a rumour from a forwarded screenshot. It is printed in the federal notification that departments, banks and schools plan their year around, the same calendar that listed Kashmir Day, Pakistan Day, the Eid holidays, Ashura, Independence Day and Eid Milad un Nabi earlier this year.
For the full year list and how earlier holidays were notified, see our public holiday in Pakistan guide. This article covers the November 9 holiday specifically.
What Will Be Closed on Iqbal Day
On a federal public holiday, government offices stay closed, and banks do not open their branches for public dealing. Schools and colleges, government and private, observe the holiday as well, because education departments follow the federal calendar. Courts and most public service counters also remain closed. If you have a bank errand, a government office file or a university visit planned for that Monday, move it to Friday or Tuesday, because Monday will not work.
What Stays Open on the Holiday
Essential services do not follow the holiday calendar. Hospitals and emergency services work as usual. Public transport runs, markets and private businesses decide for themselves, and many private offices observe the day while some follow their own holiday lists. ATMs, mobile banking and online services keep working through the holiday, so routine money transfers do not need to wait. The one thing that does stop is branch based banking and government counter work, so plan anything paper based around it.
A Three Day Weekend, and What Comes Next
November 9 is a Monday, so the holiday extends the regular weekend into three days, from Saturday, November 7 to Monday, November 9. After Iqbal Day, the next public holiday on the federal calendar is December 25, for Quaid e Azam Day and Christmas Day. December 26 is also a holiday, but only for the Christian community. There is no other public holiday between November 9 and December 25, so this November weekend is the last long break before the year ends.
Why Iqbal Day Is Observed
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, born on November 9 in Sialkot, gave the Muslims of the subcontinent the idea of a separate homeland through his poetry and his famous Allahabad address. Pakistan marks his birth anniversary every year with ceremonies, school programmes and visits to his mausoleum in Lahore, next to the Badshahi Mosque. The public holiday lets those observances happen across the country on the same day, from official ceremonies to the small morning assemblies in schools on the working days around it.
Official Source: Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan, official website
Iqbal Day Holiday FAQs
Is November 9 a public holiday in Pakistan?
Yes. The Iqbal Day holiday on Monday, November 9 is a public holiday in the federal calendar issued by the Cabinet Division.
Will schools and colleges be closed on Iqbal Day?
Yes. Schools and colleges observe the federal public holiday and remain closed on Monday, November 9.
Will banks be open on November 9?
No. Banks remain closed for public dealing on a federal public holiday. ATMs and online banking keep working as usual.
Is Iqbal Day a long weekend this year?
Yes. November 9 falls on a Monday, so it joins Saturday and Sunday to make a three day weekend.
What is the next public holiday after Iqbal Day?
December 25, for Quaid e Azam Day and Christmas Day. December 26 is a holiday only for the Christian community.