The State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on Wednesday announced revised banking hours for public dealings during Ramadan, with the country set to observe the first day of the holy month tomorrow (Thursday).
In a post on X, the central bank stated that banking hours will run from 9am to 2pm, Monday through Thursday.
On Fridays, banks will attend to public dealings from 9am to 12:30pm.
“The timings are without any break,” the central bank said.
The SBP had earlier announced the “Bank Holiday” tomorrow (first Ramadan) for public dealings for the purpose of deduction of Zakat, set at Rs503,529.
The central bank said all banks, development finance institutions (DFIs) and microfinance institutions (MFBs) would remain closed for public dealings on the first day of Ramadan.
The Muslim world welcomes Ramadan with deep religious devotion, as over a billion believers fast to practice patience, self-discipline, and generosity.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.
As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar — which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis — Ramadan shifts annually across the Gregorian calendar.
