Banks to remain closed for public dealings on January 1, 2026: SBP

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced a public holiday on 1 January, during which banks will remain closed for public dealings, according to an official statement issued on Tuesday.

In a notification, the central bank said the SBP will observe a bank holiday on Thursday, 1 January 2026, and will therefore remain closed for public transactions.

All commercial banks, development finance institutions and microfinance banks will also be closed to the public on the same day.

However, the SBP clarified that staff of banks, development finance institutions and microfinance banks will continue to attend office as per normal working arrangements.

Separately, the central bank has directed all branches of commercial banks to observe extended working hours until 10:00 pm on Wednesday to facilitate taxpayers in making over-the-counter payments of government taxes and duties.

In a press release, the SBP further stated that banks have been instructed to keep relevant branches open for as long as required to support special clearing of government transactions carried out through the National Institutional Facilitation Technologies (NIFT).