Monday, November 9, is a public holiday for Iqbal Day. Because it follows a Saturday and Sunday, many Pakistanis get three days off, and banks will be shut from Saturday until Tuesday morning.
What is closed
Banks: The State Bank of Pakistan has told commercial banks, microfinance banks and development finance institutions to close their public counters and services on Monday. With the weekend before it, branches will not open between Saturday and Monday. They reopen on Tuesday, November 10.
Offices and schools: The Cabinet Division’s notification closes public and private offices and educational institutions across the country on Monday. Sindh has issued its own notice for schools and colleges.
Stock market: The Pakistan Stock Exchange will also be closed on Monday.
What to do by Friday
Anything that needs a branch, such as paying in a cheque, getting a demand draft or opening a locker, should be done by Friday. Take out the cash you will need for the weekend early, rather than leaving it to Sunday night, when ATMs can run low. Banking apps usually keep working through holidays, but a transfer or cheque that needs the bank’s own staff may wait until Tuesday.
If a bill falls due over the weekend, pay it before you leave for the break.
If you are staying in, or going out
The new gas timetable still applies over the holiday, so plan cooking and hot water around 6:30am to 9am, 12pm to 2:30pm and 6pm to 9pm.
The Pakistan Citizen Portal is also down for a system upgrade, and the Prime Minister’s Office has given no date for its return, so complaints through it will have to wait.
Heading north? Check the road first: snow has already closed Babusar Top, although Naran can be reached. And if you are going out in Lahore, including to Iqbal’s tomb beside the Badshahi Mosque, look at the air quality before you take children or older relatives.
Why Monday is a holiday
Allama Muhammad Iqbal, the national poet, was born in Sialkot on November 9, 1877. The day was on the national holiday calendar for decades until it was dropped in 2015. It was restored in 2022.
