Eidul Azha likely to fall on August 22: Met office

Health department concerned over potential threat of spread of Congo virus during Eid season

ISLAMABAD: The Met office has predicted that there are fair chances of new moon of Zilhaj to be sighted on August 12, and Eidul Azha may fall on Wednesday, August 22 across Pakistan.

According to details shared by the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the new moon of Zilhaj, 1439 AH will be born on crossing conjunction point at 14:59 PST on Saturday, August 11.

Eidul Azha is likely to be celebrated in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the same day if the Zilhaj moon is sighted on August 12, according to the officials, who were of the view that celebrating Eidul Azha in the two countries on same day is not an unusual thing as it had happened several times in the pats as well.



Meanwhile, emergence of two positive cases of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus has worried the health departments with the Eidul Azha just around the corner. The cases were reported from Multan and Rawalpindi.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, an official working closely with the National Institute of Health (NIH) said that a patient from Dhok Kala Khan, Rawalpindi was admitted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) and passed away last month.

Despite a drop in the number of CCHF cases reported from across the country as compared to previous years, there is still a potential threat of its spread in the country during the Eid season, he said, adding that the NIH will soon issue a health advisory to alert people and the concerned quarters.



“It is the need of the hour to understand the importance of  taking precautionary measures while visiting sacrificial animal market, buying animals and  from keeping them at home till slaughtering and disposing of their leftovers,” said the official.