The moon for the holy month of Ramadan 1446 Hijri was not sighted anywhere in Pakistan. As a result, the first fast (roza) will be observed on Sunday, March 2.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee convened in Peshawar on Friday under Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad. After the meeting, the committee held a press conference to announce that the moon had not been sighted in the country, Express News reported.
Various zonal committees for moon sighting also held meetings across the country with representatives from the Meteorological Department and SUPARCO in attendance.
However, no reports of moon sightings were received from Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad or Quetta, and the central committee was informed of this development, local media reported.
A day earlier, the Met Office had forecast partly cloudy conditions across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, over the next 24 hours. “Due to cloudy weather, the chance of sighting the Ramadan moon is low,” the department said.
The PMD noted that at sunset, the moon’s age would be around 12 hours, with a moon-sun angular separation of about five degrees—factors that could further reduce visibility.
The Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had previously predicted that Ramadan would likely begin after Saturday evening, based on calculations of the moon’s visibility.
Saudi Arabia to observe first fast tomorrow
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia announced sighting the crescent of the new lunar month marking the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is usually the first country to see the moon for Islamic months, which is followed by other Arab, Middle Eastern and Western countries and some parts of India.
The Muslim world welcomes Ramadan with religious zeal and fervour. Over a billion believers will fast during the month to practice patience and self-control while also promoting charity and welfare.
The Islamic months last 29 or 30 days and the beginning or end of a month depends on the appearance of crescent, so Ramadan is not set on any specific day annually.
The month of Ramadan is the ninth of the 12 months of the Islamic calendar. Despite having as many months as the Gregorian calendar, the Islamic calendar is nearly 10 days shorter due to being based on the lunar orbit.
This is why Ramadan falls at a different time every year according to the Gregorian calendar.People in Saudi Arabia will observe their first fast tomorrow (Saturday).
