The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has declared that the Ramadan moon was spotted and the first day of the holy month will be observed on Thursday.
The announcement was made by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, the chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, during a press conference in Peshawar on Wednesday evening. Despite cloudy weather conditions in Peshawar, the moon was sighted in several other parts of the country. Moon sighting testimonies were received by the committee from various locations in Pakistan, including Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Swabi, Qila Saifullah, and Mardan.
Saudi Arabia and most of the Gulf states will also commence the fasting month on Thursday. However, the Ramadan moon was not visible in India and Bangladesh. It is noteworthy that after several years, people across Pakistan will fast on the same day, as Peshawar residents previously fasted a day earlier.
Previously, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted the possibility of sighting the crescent moon on the day, but due to cloudy weather conditions, it was unclear. During the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s zonal meeting in Karachi, PMD officials stated that the moon could be sighted around 7:28 pm on the same day.
Moreover, an official from the Ministry of Religious Affairs informed The News that apart from conducting meetings of the committee in all provinces, the purpose of convening the meeting this time in Peshawar was to reach a consensus on the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan on the same day. The committee would invite individuals from private Ruet committees to give their statements and cross-examine those who report evidence to ensure its veracity.
