The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday announced revised banking hours for public transactions during Ramadan, with the country observing the first day of the holy month tomorrow (Thursday).
In a post on X, the central bank stated that banking hours will be from 9am to 2pm, Monday to Thursday.
On Fridays, banks will attend public transactions from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“The times are without interruption,” the central bank said.
The SBP had earlier announced tomorrow’s (first Ramadan) “holiday” for public transactions for the purpose of deducting Zakat, set at Rs 503,529.
The central bank said all banks, development financial institutions (DFIs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) would remain closed for public transactions on the first day of Ramadan.
The Muslim world welcomes Ramadan with deep religious devotion, as more than a billion believers fast to practice patience, self-discipline and generosity.
The Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, and their beginning and end are determined by the appearance of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date every year.
As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar, which is approximately 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar base, Ramadan changes annually throughout the Gregorian calendar.
