Shawwal moon in Pakistan: Which day will Eid ul Fitr be observed on?

As Eid ul Fitr draws near people across the country are rushing to complete all their preparations in advance. 

Moon sighting in Pakistan requires much patience as it involves a lot of debate over testimonies received from various parts of the country and the decision is made at the 11th hour most of the time. 

While the people are expecting Eid ul Fitr to be on April 21, Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council Secretary General Khalid Aijaz has ruled out the possibility, saying that the moon will not be sighted on April 20.

Speaking to Geo News, the official said that the crescent marking beginning of Shawwal will be sighted after the completion of 30 days of Ramadan, according to which Eid ul Fitr will fall on April 22, Saturday.

Aijaz also predicted the time of the moon sighting, saying that the new crescent will be born at 9:13am on April 20 and its age will be less than 10 hours that day.

"For the crescent to be sighted, the duration should be more than 19 hours and even if the sky is clear that day [April 20], the moon woudn't be spotted," he said.

Therefore, any testimony received on April 20 will be false as the month of Ramadan will last for 30 days and the 1st Shawwal will fall on April 22.