State Bank of Pakistan Announces Bank Holiday on March 3

The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has announced that all banks, development finance institutions (DFIs), and microfinance banks (MFBs) will remain closed to the public on Monday, March 3, 2025.

This day will be observed as a “Bank Holiday” to facilitate the deduction of Zakat, following guidelines from the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation & Social Safety. The decision was outlined in the BPRD Circular Letter No. 04, issued on February 27, 2025.

This closure affects public dealings at all banking institutions across the country on that date. However, it’s business as usual behind the scenes—bank employees will report to work as they would on any normal day, focusing on internal tasks like Zakat processing instead of serving customers.

This ensures the smooth execution of the annual Zakat deduction, a key part of Pakistan’s social welfare system, especially timely as Ramadan 2025 approaches.