Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad looks through the telescope for the new moon. Photo: AFP
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is meeting today (Thursday) to observe the Shawwal crescent which marks the end of Ramazan.
The meeting will be held in Islamabad under the leadership of Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad after Asr prayers on the roof of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Kohsar Block.
Zonal committee meetings will also take place in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta, as well as other parts of the country.
The committees will collect testimonies of moon sightings from all over Pakistan, which will then be verified before an official announcement is made.
Read more: SUPARCO predicts Eidul Fitr likely on March 21
The Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission 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 SUPARCO statement said.
The commission had said the prediction was based on scientific calculations and observations, but had stressed that the relevant religious authority would make the official announcement.
“The final decision regarding the sighting of the Shawwal crescent and the commencement of Eidul Fitr 1447 AH will be taken by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan, which is the only competent authority to announce the commencement of Islamic months on credible testimonies and verified sightings from across the country,” the statement said.
