March | Pakistan

The Pakistan Airport Authority (PAA) on Sunday said flight operations at Islamabad airport will be suspended for two hours on March 17 instead of March 16. Earlier in the day, the PAA said its previous notice to airmen (Notam) about the brief suspension of flight operations at Islamabad airport on March 16 was cancelled. “The earlier Notam regarding temporary airspace restrictions in the Lahore flight information region (FIR) and suspension of flight operations at Islamabad International Airport on 16 March (08:30am - 10:30am PKT) has been cancelled,” the PAA said on X. “Normal operations will continue,” it clarified. In a later Notam, the PAA said arrival and departure operations at the Islamabad airport would remain closed from 08:30am to 10:30am PKT on March 17 (Tuesday) instead. The Notam again cited “operational reasons” and advised arriving aircraft to “bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay”. The route segments that would be closed and other specifications remained the same as the previous No...

The federal government has declared March 20 and March 21 as public holidays for offices on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, according to a Cabinet Division notification issued on Sunday. “The prime minister has been pleased to declare March 20 and 21, 2026 (Friday and Saturday) as public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Fitr, both for offices observing five- and six- day work weeks,” the notification, seen by Dawn, said. The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has forecast that Eidul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21 as the chances of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 remain low. However, the final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal moon and Eidul Fitr will be made by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. Suparco noted the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee was the “sole competent authority to announce the beginning of Islamic months on credible witness testimonies and verified observations from across the country”. Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) ...

RAWALPINDI: The Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) said on Saturday that flight operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain suspended for two hours on March 16. In a statement on X, the authority said, “Due to operational reasons, flight operations at Islamabad International Airport will remain temporarily suspended on 16 March 2026 from 08:30am to 10:30am PKT.” It advised passengers to check with their airlines for any updates. In a notice to airmen (Notam), the PAA specified segments of air traffic service (ATS) routes within the Lahore flight information region (FIR) that would not be available from ground to flight level 210 due to “operational reasons”. The Notam stated that arrival and departure operations at Islamabad International Airport would remain closed, and urged arriving aircraft to “bring sufficient holding fuel to cater for delay”. Today’s notice comes after a Notam with the same specifications was issued on March 12, restricting flights in the same route segments for three hour...

The Pakistan Airport Authority has released a fresh NOTAM for flights arriving at and departing from Islamabad International Airport, announcing a temporary shutdown of six sectors within the Lahore Flight Information Region on March 16.

The Sindh government on Thursday announced a public holiday for March 13 (Friday). A notification issued by the government, a copy of which is available with Dawn, said: “The government of Sindh has been pleased to declare March 13, 2026 (Friday) as a public holiday throughout the province of Sindh for all government offices, autonomous bodies, semi-autonomous bodies, corporations, corporations and local councils under the administrative control of the government of Sindh, except essential services.” The notification did not state the reason for which the public holiday was being announced. However, a day earlier, Sindh Local Government Minister Nasir Hussain Shah had said that the public holiday would be observed on Friday for Jummatul Wida.

ISLAMABAD: Less than a week after the government hiked the prices of petroleum products by a whopping Rs55, the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (Ogra) on Thursday notified a massive 19-22 per cent increase in the price of regasified liquified natural gas (RLNG) for sales at the distribution stage by the two Sui gas companies for the month of March. The increase was mainly because of increase in terminal charges amid lower import molecules and minor increase in import price, the dataset from the authority showed. The rare increase (19-22pc) in RLNG price for March has come following a minor 0.5pc increase in February and two consecutive monthly reductions in December (6pc) and January (5pc). The prices had cumulatively increased by 4.4pc in October and November. The Karachi-based Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) serves consumers in Sindh and Balochistan and its system losses at the distribution stage stand at 12.55pc, compared to 10.6pc a couple of months earlier. On the other hand, the Lahore-based S...

The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) has forecast that Eidul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21 as the chances of sighting the Shawwal moon on March 19 remain low. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Suparco said that the new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH was expected to be born on March 19 at 6:23am. “At the time of sunset on March 19, 2026, the age of the new moon will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated 28-minute interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan’s coastal belt,” it added. Based on these astronomical parameters, the statement said, the “chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 2026 are low”. “Consequently, 1st Shawwal 1447 AH is anticipated to fall on Saturday, March 21, 2026, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramazan,” it added. However, it continued, “the final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal crescent and the commencement of Eidul Fitr 1447 AH will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal ...

KARACHI - The Sindh government has announced that schools across the province will remain closed from March 16 to 31, while government employees will work from home on Fridays.

The Sindh government on Tuesday announced its own set of austerity measures to curtail the economic impact of the ongoing regional tensions, stating that schools will observe a spring vacation and government offices will work from home on Fridays. Addressing a press conference, Sindh Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said schools across the province will have a “spring vacation from March 16 to 31, while colleges and universities will switch to online classes”. However, he noted, no ongoing exams will be postponed. The minister also clarified that, contrary to some media reports, government functioning will not stop on Fridays. Instead, government officials will work from home (WFH). “Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday — you have to work. On Friday, you have to work from home,” he said. The Sindh minister affirmed that the province endorsed all the decisions announced by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday. “The Sindh government has launched its austerity campaign,” he added. He declared that the prov...

Educational institutions throughout Punjab will remain physically closed until March 31, according to an announcement by Provincial Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat.

The Sindh government on Monday announced that public and private educational institutions across the province will remain closed on Wednesday (March 12) on account of Youm-i-Ali. The directive was issued in a notification by the Sindh School Education and Literacy Department, a copy of which is available with Dawn. The notification said, “… all public and private educational institutions under the administrative control of the School Education and Literacy Department, government of Sindh, shall remain closed on Wednesday, March 11, 2026, as a holiday on account of Youm-i-Ali.” Last week, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah sought the cooperation of prominent Shia scholars in ensuring “best possible” security arrangements for Youm-i-Ali, Youm Al Quds and Jumatul Wida against the backdrop of the prevailing regional situation. During the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding administrative and security arrangements and the participants exchanged views on guiding the public in light of the situat...

The United States Embassy in Islamabad has canceled all visa appointments scheduled from March 9 to March 13.

ISLAMABAD - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Tuesday fixed March 10 as the date of hearing of a petition filed by Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, seeking permission to receive medical treatment at Shifa International Hospital.

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday directed the registrar’s office to fix PTI founder Imran Khan’s plea — seeking permission to undergo medical treatment at Shifa International Hospital — for hearing on March 10. The IHC also fixed the main appeal in the Toshakhana criminal case — in which the PTI founder was first arrested on Aug 5, 2023 — for hearing on March 10. A division bench comprising Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro heard the matter along with objections raised by the Registrar’s Office. Senior counsel Latif Khosa, assisted by Salman Akram Raja and other lawyers, appeared before the court. The bench inquired about the nature of objections raised by the Registrar’s Office on the miscellaneous application. Responding to the court, Khosa submitted that one of the objections pertained to the non-provision of a certified copy of the power of attorney. Justice Tahir observed that two of the objections were valid. The court subsequently directed the office to ...

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is set to hear former prime minister Imran Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi’s petitions seeking the suspension of their sentences in the £190 million corruption case on March 11. A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan resumed the case proceedings on Thursday. During the hearing, the bench expressed displeasure as dozens of lawyers affiliated with PTI stood up and approached the rostrum simultaneously. “What is this? Are you trying to influence the court?” the IHC chief justice asked. Imran’s counsel, Barrister Salman Sardar, replied: “Not at all.” He argued that the matter had assumed greater urgency in view of the former premier’s sudden eye ailment. He further submitted that Bushra Bibi, despite being a woman, was serving a seven-year sentence and that her petition for suspension of sentence had been fixed after six months. “We request you to suspend the sentence. The last order was passed on November 9,...

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has announced that the year’s first total lunar eclipse will occur on March 3 and will be partially observable in several cities across Pakistan.

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has summoned a joint session of Parliament on March 2, at the start of the new parliamentary year. A notification issued by the National Assembly Secretariat on Wednesday said that in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article 54 read with clause (3) of Article 56 of the Constitution, the president has summoned both Houses of Parliament to assemble together at the Parliament House in Islamabad on March 2 (Monday) at 10:30am. Earlier, a post on the Presidency’s X account stated that he had approved the summary for convening the session. The post also said that the session would be convened at 3pm on March 2. Later, the National Assembly Secretariat issued its notification, in which the time was revised to 10:30am. The session is being convened in continuation of the practice of a joint sitting behind held at the start of every parliamentary year. According to Article 56 of the Constitution, the president addresses both Houses of parliament at the start of th...

President Asif Ali Zardari has given approval to convene a joint sitting of Parliament on March 2, formally initiating the new parliamentary year.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department has indicated that Ramazan is expected to last 30 days this year, as the Shawwal crescent is unlikely to be visible on March 19.

The Lahore High Court has announced a new roster for its judges, which will remain in effect for two months from March 2 to May 2.