Shawwal moon not sighted, Eidul Fitr on March 21

Committee Chairman Maulana Khabeer Azad says 30th Ramazan fast on Friday

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced on Thursday that the Shawwal moon was not sighted and Eidul Fitr would thus fall on March 21.

Addressing a press conference after a meeting in Islamabad to observe the Shawwal 1447 Hijri crescent, which marks the end of Ramazan, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said the country would observe the 30th fast on Friday.

"There was no testimony received of sighting the moon from any part of Pakistan," he said.

He said that skies remained cloudy across most parts of country, with only a few areas experiencing clear conditions, and that no moon sighting testimonies had been received.

Azad urged Pakistan and other Muslim countries to unite amid the ongoing crisis in the Gulf, adding that the entire region was going through immense suffering and that prayers would be offered for them.

He condemned the actions of Israel, saying, “The oppressor is committing atrocities; may Allah grant deliverance from the oppressive Israel.”

Azad also prayed for Pakistan, saying, “May Allah protect our country from internal and external conflicts. May He safeguard Pakistan’s armed forces and our field marshal.”

“May Allah strengthen the survival of our nation. These difficult days will also pass,” he added.

He concluded by calling for national solidarity: “We urgently need to unite as one nation with cohesion and harmony.”

Committee members were present at the meeting, along with representatives from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), and the Ministry of Science, who attended the central session to provide technical assistance for moon sighting.

Zonal committee meetings also took place in major cities, including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta, as well as in other parts of the country.

The committees collected testimonies of moon sightings from across Pakistan.

A day earlier, Saudi Arabia announced that the first day of Eidul Fitr would fall on March 20 after the Shawwal moon was not sighted in the country.

SUPARCO had already predicted that Eidul Fitr was likely to fall on March 21, as the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on March 19 were considered very low.

“At the time of sunset on March 19, the age of the new moon would be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated 28-minute interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan’s coastal belt,” the statement from SUPARCO had said.

The federal government has already announced public holidays on the occasion of Eidul Fitr for March 20 and 21 across the country.

The visibility of the crescent depends on atmospheric conditions, and clear skies would enhance the chances of sighting the moon across most regions of Pakistan.

Pakistan follows both scientific and traditional moon sighting methods, and the government has often relied on SUPARCO’s lunar calculations to aid the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee's decision-making.