ISLAMABAD: Hopes of a long weekend for thousands of federal government employees were dashed on Wednesday after the Cabinet Division issued a blunt clarification, declaring Friday, 26 December 2025, a normal working day for all federal ministries and departments.
In a one-page notification dated 24 December 2025, the Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Division, stated that 26 December 2025 “is a working day for the Federal Government and all Federal Government establishments.”
The clarification has been circulated to federal ministers, advisers, key constitutional offices, the armed forces’ top brass, Islamabad’s judiciary, the State Bank, and all federal divisions.
The move comes just a day after the Islamabad district administration announced 26 December as a local holiday within the revenue limits of the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), effectively creating a long weekend for most private offices and local institutions following the 25 December holiday for Quaid-e-Azam Day and Christmas.
However, the latest clarification makes it clear that federal government employees posted in Islamabad will not benefit from the district administration’s decision. Ministries, attached departments, and other federal bodies headquartered in the capital are required to remain open as usual on Friday.