SBP announces three-day bank holidays for Eid ul Fitr

Karachi: Banks and financial institutions will be closed from April 10th to April 12th for Eid ul Fitr celebrations, as announced by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP).

This closure includes the central bank and extends to all banks and microfinance institutions. The federal government has officially declared these days as public holidays, with offices operating on a five-day week schedule observing three holidays and those on a six-day week observing four.

The announcement, made by the Cabinet Division, was accompanied by a notification signed by Muhammad Aqib Gulzar, Principal Information Officer of the Press Information Department (PID).

According to the Meteorological Office, Eid ul Fitr is anticipated to begin on April 10th, with the sighting of the Shawwal moon expected on April 9th."

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said the crescent would be born on April 8 at 11:21pm and it would be aged between 19 and 20 hours the next day around aghrib prayer.

The crescent could be spotted for over 50 minutes around the sundown, it said.

The PMD said the sky in most parts of the country would be clear on April 9. However, it added that the sky might be cloudy in northern areas.