# Iqbal Day 2026: Monday 9 November is a public holiday across Pakistan

Source: Searchable (https://searchable.pk/news/pakistan/iqbal-day-2026-monday-9-november-is-a-public-holiday-across-pakistan)
Type: News article
Author: Searchable Editorial
Published: 30 Oct 2026
Updated: 30 Oct 2026
Retrieved: 30 Oct 2026

> The Cabinet Division listed Allama Iqbal's birthday as a national holiday in its 2026 calendar, so government offices close on Monday 9 November and many people get a three-day weekend.

**Iqbal Day 2026 is a public holiday: Monday 9 November**, the birth anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal, is listed as a holiday across Pakistan in the Cabinet Division's circular of public and optional holidays for 2026, issued on 19 January, [ProPakistani reported](https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/30/iqbal-day-2026-will-november-9-be-a-public-holiday/).

## Iqbal Day holiday 2026 at a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| Date | Monday 9 November 2026 |
| Status | Public (gazetted) holiday, nationwide |
| Notified by | Cabinet Division, 2026 holiday circular of 19 January |
| Weekend | Saturday 7 to Monday 9 November for offices closed on Saturdays |
| Occasion | Birth anniversary of Allama Muhammad Iqbal (born 9 November 1877, Sialkot) |

Because 9 November falls on a Monday, staff in offices that close on Saturdays and Sundays get a **three-day weekend**. Government offices and other public institutions close; banks follow the State Bank's own holiday list, which normally matches the federal one, and private employers decide for themselves.

## What to plan around

- **Banks and bills:** if a utility bill or a cheque is due on 9 November, pay or deposit it by Friday 6 November, or use your bank's app. Our [electricity bill calculator](/tools/utilities/electricity-bill-calculator) can help you check the amount first.
- **Schools:** provincial education departments usually close schools on federal holidays, but confirm with your school.
- **Cricket the same day:** the first Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka is scheduled to start at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on 9 November, so the holiday gives fans a free day one.

## Who Allama Iqbal was

Allama Iqbal, the poet-philosopher who set out the idea of a separate Muslim homeland in his 1930 Allahabad address, is Pakistan's national poet. He is buried beside the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

If you need to count working days around the long weekend for leave or a deadline, our [age and date calculator](/tools/government/age-calculator) gives the gap between any two dates.

## Frequently asked questions

**Is 9 November 2026 a holiday in Pakistan?**

Yes. Monday 9 November 2026, Iqbal Day, is a public holiday across Pakistan in the Cabinet Division's 2026 holiday circular issued on 19 January 2026.

## Sources

- Iqbal Day 2026: Will November 9 be a public holiday? (30 Oct 2026) (ProPakistani): https://propakistani.pk/2026/10/30/iqbal-day-2026-will-november-9-be-a-public-holiday/
- Pakistan-Sri Lanka-England trilateral ODI series schedule announced (19 Aug 2026) (Geo News): https://www.geo.tv/latest/678308-pakistan-sri-lanka-england-trilateral-odi-series-schedule-announced

How to cite: "Iqbal Day 2026: Monday 9 November is a public holiday across Pakistan", Searchable, 30 Oct 2026, https://searchable.pk/news/pakistan/iqbal-day-2026-monday-9-november-is-a-public-holiday-across-pakistan