The Government of Pakistan has fixed the Zakat nisab for 2026 at Rs503,529. This means Zakat will only be deducted from savings accounts if the balance is equal to or above this amount.
An official notification issued by the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety stated that no Zakat will be deducted from bank accounts with balances below Rs503,529 on the first day of Ramazan.
According to the notification, Zakat will be deducted from savings accounts, profit and loss sharing accounts and other similar deposits on the first day of Ramazan, which is expected to fall on February 19, 2026, subject to moon sighting.
This represents an increase of around 180 percent compared to last year’s nisab of Rs179,689. The sharp rise is linked to the significant increase in gold and silver prices in both international and local markets.
Due to the higher threshold, the number of bank accounts eligible for automatic Zakat deduction is likely to decrease. The notification also mentioned that Pakistan’s banking system currently has more than 177 million accounts across commercial banks, microfinance institutions and fintech platforms, indicating the wide impact of the revised nisab.
Banks and financial institutions have been directed to strictly follow the instructions and transfer the deducted Zakat amounts to the Central Zakat Account maintained with the State Bank of Pakistan immediately after collection.
The government has further instructed all relevant institutions to submit official returns after depositing the Zakat funds to ensure transparency and proper record keeping.