The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) announced on Thursday that the likelihood of sighting the Ramadan moon on Friday remains low due to cloudy weather conditions.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to convene in Peshawar on February 28 at 6:30 PM to observe the crescent. If sighted, the holy month of Ramadan will commence on March 1 (Saturday). The meeting, presided over by committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, will take place following the Asr prayer.
Zonal moon-sighting committees across the country will also hold meetings within their respective jurisdictions to gather and assess reports, as stated in a notification from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Scholars from various sects will participate in the central session to confirm the beginning of Ramadan.
According to the PMD, weather forecasts indicate that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including Peshawar, will experience partly cloudy conditions over the next 24 hours, reducing the chances of spotting the moon. The department noted that at sunset, the moon’s age would be around 12 hours, with a moon-sun angular separation of approximately five degrees.
The month of Ramadan, observed with great religious devotion, will see millions of Pakistanis and billions of Muslims worldwide fasting from dawn to dusk. The duration of fasting varies between 12 to 17 hours depending on geographical location.
