ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Meteorological Department said there is very less chance of the Eid ul Fitr moon being sighted today on Thursday in light of solar eclipse.
With very dim chances of Shawwal crescent, Eid ul Fitr is likely to fall on April 22 on Saturday. Shawwal crescent would not be visible in Pakistan and other countries where the solar eclipse is being observed on April 20.
Meanwhile, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to meet today on Thursday in the federal capital for the sighting of the Shawwal moon. The top officials of the country’s apex moon sighting committee will flock to the religious affairs ministry in the capital and will be presided over by Ruet-e-Halal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
The meetings of the zonal committees will be held at designated locations across Pakistan. Earlier, Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council Secretary ruled out the possibility of the moon sighting on April 20.
Ruet’s Secretary General Khalid Ijaz Mufti told a local media outlet that the country’s apex moon sighting committee will meet on April 20 to sight the crescent of Shawwal. He however predicted that the Festival of Sweets is most likely to be celebrated on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Delving into details, Mufti said the birth of the moon is expected to take place on April 20 at 9:13 am local time, and added that the age of the crescent at sunset will be less than 10 hours on the evening of 29th Ramadan. A new moon has to be at least 19 hours at the time of sunset [at the place of observation] to be sighted.
He said the weather is expected to be clear in all most areas of Pakistan and cited very thin chances of a moon sighting on the eve of April 20. The South Asian nation is expected to observe 30 days of fasting this year.
Eidul Fitr is one of the two major Islamic festivals that marks the culmination of the Holy Month of Ramadan, during which Muslims all over the world observe fast, and pray.
