Eid ul Fitr will be celebrated across Pakistan on Saturday (March 21) as the Shawwal moon was not sighted in any part of country, Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Abdul Khabir Azad announced on Thursday.
The RHC chairman formally announced the decision in a press conference in Islamabad, saying that there was no credible testimony of crescent sighting from any part of the country.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.
The RHC zonal committee in Peshawar said it received multiple testimonies for crescent sightings.
The committee recorded a total of six testimonies, including five via telephone and one from an eyewitness who appeared in person at the meeting.
All testimonies were forwarded to the RHC's central committee for verification. The central moon sighting body follows strict Shariah-based criteria to scrutinise reports before making a formal announcement.
Eid ul Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon according to the Muslim lunar calendar.
The first fast in Pakistan was observed on February 19, with Ramadan completing 30 days as the moon was not sighted today.
There was a possibility of the moon being visible at an angle of 271.36 degrees in Islamabad, meteorologists said.
The sun set in the capital at 6:22pm, while the expected time for moon visibility was 6:51pm.
The experts explained that for the crescent to be visible, its age must be at least 19 hours and 20 minutes. However, the moon's age in Islamabad today was only 12 hours and 23 minutes.
Given these conditions, the chances of sighting the crescent anywhere in the country were almost negligible, the meteorologists added.
Meanwhile, India will also observe Eid ul Fitr on Saturday after clerics in Lucknow and Hyderabad reported no confirmed sightings of the Shawwal crescent, local media said.
However, Delhi's Jama Masjid has yet to make an official announcement.
Similarly, the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Indonesia, where Eid ul Fitr will also be observed on Saturday.
It is noteworthy that the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia yesterday (Wednesday), where Eid will be celebrated on Friday. However, Eid ul Fitr was observed in Afghanistan today.
Observing the Ramadan fast is one of the five pillars of Islam. Observant Muslims are also encouraged to donate to the poor.
Across the Muslim world, Ramadan festivities this year were overshadowed by the ongoing war in the Middle East, triggered by the US and Israel's attack on Iran.
The Gulf region has been pummelled with repeated strikes by Iran in a retaliatory blitz, with airports, residential areas, energy installations and military bases targeted with ballistic missiles and drones.
