KP Announces Four-Day Eidul Azha Holiday Schedule
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced on Saturday that the province will observe four public holidays for Eidul Azha from May 26 to May 29. The decision gives government offices and public-sector institutions a longer break than the federal holiday schedule and is expected to shape travel, market activity and administrative planning across the province.
According to the provincial notification, the holidays will run from Tuesday through Friday, allowing residents to observe Eidul Azha over the full three-day period while also accounting for travel and family arrangements. The decision is likely to be welcomed by employees who plan to return to their hometowns for the religious festival.
The announcement comes after the Sindh government also decided to observe a four-day Eid holiday, including Friday, May 29. By contrast, the federal government had earlier notified a three-day break from May 26 to May 28, making KP and Sindh among the provinces opting for an extended schedule.
The federal holiday announcement was issued by the Cabinet Division after approval from Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The federal notification declared May 26, 27 and 28 as public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Azha, while provincial governments retained the authority to issue their own schedules for offices and departments under their control.
Eidul Azha will be observed in Pakistan from May 27 to May 29 after the Zilhaj moon was sighted earlier this week. Moon sighting testimonies were reported from multiple cities, including Karachi, parts of Sindh, Mardan, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, after which the religious calendar for the festival was finalised.
The festival falls on the 10th of Zilhaj and marks the culmination of Haj, one of the central pillars of Islam. Across Pakistan, Eidul Azha is observed with congregational prayers, animal sacrifice, family gatherings and the distribution of meat among relatives, neighbours and people in need.
For KP, the extended holiday period carries practical importance because a large number of residents travel between districts and from major cities to rural areas during Eid. Transport terminals, cattle markets, mosques, local bazaars and public spaces are expected to see heavy activity in the days leading up to the festival.
The four-day break will also require local administrations to prepare for sanitation, traffic control, livestock movement and emergency services during the holiday period. Eidul Azha typically places additional pressure on municipal bodies because of animal waste disposal and the need for timely cleanliness operations across urban and rural communities.
The provincial government is expected to issue or enforce related administrative arrangements ahead of the holidays, particularly for essential services that usually remain functional despite public closures. With Eid approaching, attention will now shift to security, transport, health services and cleanliness measures to ensure the festival is observed smoothly across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.