ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said on Thursday that there are very less chances of the Eid ul Fitr moon being sighted today due to the solar eclipse.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is meeting today in Islamabad for the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
The meeting will be held at the religious affairs ministry and will be presided over by Ruet-e-Halal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
The statement from the ministry of religious affairs further said that the zonal committees will be meeting at designated locations across the country.
Earlier, the Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council (RHRC) Secretary General Khalid Aijaz also ruled out chances of the moon sighting today, April 20.
Eid-ul-Fitr likely on April 22
He said that the crescent marking beginning of the Islamic month of Shawwal will be sighted after the completion of 30 days of the holy Ramadan, according to which Eid-ul-Fitr will fall on Saturday, April 22.
Aijaz also predicted the time of the moon crescent sighting, saying that the new moon will born at 9:13am on Thursday, April 20 and its age will be less than 10 hours on that day.
“For the moon crescent to be sighted, the duration should be more than 19 hours and even if the sky is clear that day (Thursday, April 20), the moon would not be spotted,” he said.
Therefore, any testimony received today, April 20 will be false as the month of holy Ramadan will last for 30 days and the 1st Shawwal will fall on Saturday, April 22.
The federal government has approved five-day Eid holidays from April 21 to 25.
The PMD’s prediction may disappoint some people who were hoping to celebrate Eid ul Fitr on Friday instead of Saturday.
The final decision regarding the moon sighting will be announced by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee after the meeting today.
