ISLAMABAD: The Shawwal moon could not be sighted in Pakistan on Thursday. As a result, Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across the country on Saturday (April 22), making Ramazan of 30 days.
In a press conference in Islamabad, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said: “We have not received any testimony of the sighting of Shawwal moon across the country. Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across the country on Saturday, April 22.”
He added: “The sky was clear in most parts of the country, while it was cloudy in some places.”
The presser came after the committee’s meeting, held at the religious affairs ministry with Maulana Khabir in the chair, ended.
Members of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, representatives of the Department of Meteorology, Suparco and other relevant organisations were present in the meeting.
The committee made the decision after receiving input on the sighting of the moon from all over the country.
Earlier, zonal committees from Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, Sukkur and Quetta confirmed that they had received no testimonies of moon sightings.
In Karachi, Hafiz Mohammad Salafi, who headed the meeting in the metropolis, said the moon could not be sighted in the city as the zonal committee did not receive testimonies. He said that the moon could have been sighted by 7:17 pm.
Similarly, in Lahore, the moon could have been sighted by 7:10 pm. However, dark clouds and strong winds precluded the possibility of moon sighting.
Zonal committees in Peshawar, Quetta and Sukkur all confirmed that the moon had not been sighted and no testimonies had been received from anyone.
The Meteorological Department and astronomers had previously said that there was little possibility of moon sighting today and Eid-ul-Fitr would take place on Saturday.
The federal government has announced that the Eid-ul-Fitr holidays will commence tomorrow (Friday) and will go on till Tuesday (April 25).
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