SBP declares January 1 bank holiday across Pakistan

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that banks across the country will remain closed for public dealing on January 1, 2026, in observance of the annual bank holiday.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the central bank said that all commercial banks and financial institutions will suspend customer-facing operations on the first day of the new year. The closure will also apply to development finance institutions (DFIs) and microfinance banks (MFBs).

However, the SBP clarified that employees of banks, DFIs and MFBs will report to work as usual despite the suspension of public transactions. According to the central bank, the bank holiday is meant to facilitate year-end financial processes and ensure a smooth transition into the new financial year.

Banking services for customers are expected to resume normally from January 2, 2026.

Every year, the SBP declares January 1 as a bank holiday to allow financial institutions to close their books and complete administrative and accounting procedures related to the end of the calendar year.