The central moon sighting committee of Pakistan — Ruet-e-Hilal Committee — and its zonal bodies will hold meetings in their respective regions to collect evidence of crescent sightings to ascertain the date of Eid ul Fitr.
If the crescent is sighted today, Eid ul Fitr would fall on Wednesday after the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan followed by the major festival to be celebrated on the first day of Shawwal.
The committee’s Chairman Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad is presiding over the meeting at the Kohsar Complex before sighting the moon, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.
Besides the members of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the meeting would be attended by the officials of the meteorology department, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) and the Ministry of Science and Technology too.
High chances of moon sighting
The new moon was born last night at 11:21pm and its age would be between 19 and 20 hours in the evening, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
It further stated that sky in southern areas of the country was expected to remain clear, and in the northern areas it could be cloudy, increasing chances of Shawwal crescent sightings today.
KSA, UAE to celebrate Eid tomorrow
It is pertinent to mention here that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated in Saudi Arabia, Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday, as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in those countries.
Hence, the holy month will last there for a full 30 days, with Tuesday being the last day of Ramadan — the holiest month in the Muslim calendar.
