Eidul Azha likely on Sept 1, says Met

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet for moon sighting on Aug 22

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has predicted that the Zilhaj moon is likely to be sighted on Tuesday August 22, and Eidul Azha will, therefore, be celebrated across Pakistan on Friday, September 1.

A Met Office official told The Express Tribune that weather was expected to be clear in most parts of the country on August 22, making visibility clear.

The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to meet for sighting the moon on Tuesday, August 22, at PMD camp office, Karachi.

Deputy Director Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Hafiz Abdul Qudoos told The Express Tribune that meetings of the zonal or district Ruet-e-Hilal committee would be held on same date and at the same time.



He said all members of the Ruet-Hilal committee had been invited in Karachi to participate in the meeting.

When asked if any member of Peshawar’s Masjid Qasim Khan committee, which is headed by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, had been invited, the ministry official replied in the negative.

At the time of Eidul Fitr two months back, the ministry had made all efforts for the whole of country to celebrate Eid on the same day. For the purpose, they had engaged the Masjid Qasim Khan committee, but all efforts went in vain when Eidul Fitr was celebrated in parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Fata a day before the rest of the country.