ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has declared May 26-28 public holidays for Eid Al-Adha, the Cabinet Division said on Wednesday, as authorities stepped up preparations for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The notification came days after Pakistan’s central moon-sighting committee announced that the crescent moon marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Dhu Al-Hijjah had been sighted, with Eid Al-Adha set to fall on Wednesday, May 27.
Eid Al-Adha, one of the two major Islamic festivals, coincides with the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and is marked by special prayers and the ritual sacrifice of animals, with families gathering to share meals and distribute meat among relatives and the poor.
“Prime Minister has been pleased to declare 26th, 27th and 28th May, 2026 (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha,” the Cabinet Division said in the notification.
The holidays are expected to trigger increased intercity travel and shopping activity across Pakistan ahead of the festival, with cattle markets witnessing a surge in buyers in recent days.
Separately, Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Mohammad Yousaf visited the plains of Arafat on the outskirts of Makkah to review arrangements for Pakistani pilgrims, according to a statement from the religious affairs ministry.
“Facilities for government-sponsored Pakistani pilgrims in Mina and Arafat will be better than before,” he said, according to the ministry.
He added that pilgrims would be provided freshly prepared Pakistani-standard meals during the days of Hajj and praised Saudi authorities and service providers for arrangements at the holy sites.
Pakistan’s Hajj mission has already been managing the arrival and accommodation of pilgrims traveling under both government and private schemes.
