The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC) will meet in Peshawar on February 18 (Wednesday) to sight the crescent marking the beginning of Ramadan 1447AH, while zonal committees will convene simultaneously in the federal and provincial capitals.
Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad will chair the central session in Peshawar, which will determine whether the holy month will commence on February 19 or 20.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a formal notification confirming that zonal moon sighting committee meetings will also be held in Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta.
Meanwhile, sources within the Ministry of Science and Technology indicated a strong likelihood that Ramadan will begin simultaneously in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia this year. According to the ministry, the new moon of Ramadan 1447AH is expected to be born on February 17.
However, the crescent is unlikely to be visible on February 17 in Saudi Arabia, the United States, Africa, Europe and other regions of the world.
Scientific projections suggest that the moon will be easily visible on February 18 in Pakistan and several other countries. The crescent is expected to be clearly sighted in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Makkah on that date.
If confirmed, the first day of Ramadan in Pakistan is likely to fall on February 19 (Thursday).
Projected time of moon sighting
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said a day ago that the moon would be born at the conjunction point at 5:01pm on February 17, and that astronomical parameters indicate a fair chance of sighting on February 18 (29th Shaban 1447AH).
The weather department stated this in an advisory issued to the Research and Reference Wing of the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
According to the PMD’s Climate Data Processing Centre (CDPC), climate records suggest the weather is expected to be partly cloudy or fair in most parts of the country on the evening of February 18, which may support visibility for moon-sighting efforts.
The department also shared region-wise timings for the last time of moon sighting (PST) on February 18, saying it will remain visible until 7:24pm in Sindh, 7:08pm in Punjab, 7:47pm in Balochistan, 7:13pm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 6:58pm in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), and 6:53pm in Gilgit Baltistan (GB).
It added that stations not listed in the moon-coordinate schedule may also observe the moon up to the time of moonset according to their respective region.
In line with established practice, the RHC will convene on the 29th of Sha’ban, alongside zonal committees, to evaluate crescent sighting testimonies and formally announce Ramadan’s start, with clerics from all schools of thought in attendance.
The holy month, which is observed with religious fervour and zeal, will see millions of Pakistanis, along with billions of Muslims around the world, observing a fast from dawn till sunset.
Like many other countries, Ramadan in Pakistan is marked by increased charity and public food drives, with the people establishing roadside stalls for people returning to their homes in the evening.
