ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has been conducting meetings across the country to sight the Shawwal moon, which marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid ul Fitr.
The committee has been collecting testimonials from various cities, including Islamabad, Karachi, Quetta, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sukkur. Members of the committee have been working with representatives from the Department of Meteorology, while Sparco representatives have also been present in some of the meetings.
As per the latest reports, the moon has not been sighted in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Sukkur. The zonal committee in each city has confirmed that no testimonies have been received yet, but the committee meetings are still ongoing.
In Quetta, the meteorological department has stated that while the weather is clear, the possibility of sighting the moon is low due to its age.
Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council rules out possibility of moon sighting today
Earlier, the Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council Secretary General, Khalid Aijaz, had ruled out the possibility of moon sighting on April 20. Meanwhile, the Australian Muslim Council has announced that since the Eid moon could not be sighted on April 20, the country would observe the religious festival on April 22, along with Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Japan, Philippines, and Thailand.
The federal government has approved a five-day Eid holiday from April 21 to April 25.
The announcement of the sighting of the moon by the central moon sighting committee or the zonal committee will be the final decision on the date of Eid ul Fitr.
The decision will be based on the testimonies collected by the committee from various parts of the country.
The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s meetings and the moon sighting process are of great significance for the Muslim community in Pakistan, as the announcement of Eid marks the end of Ramadan and the start of the celebrations of Eid ul Fitr.
