ISLAMABAD: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, gathered in Peshawar on Friday to confirm the sighting of the Ramadan moon. Following their meeting, Maulana Azad announced that the Ramadan moon was not visible anywhere in Pakistan, meaning the first fast will be observed on Sunday.
Zonal committees in major cities like Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Islamabad also convened to evaluate moon sighting reports.
SUPARCO assisted the process using digital telescopes linked to stations across the country via video feed in Peshawar. Representatives from the Met Department and scholars from various religious sects were involved in the discussions.
The Met Department reported cloudy and windy weather in cities like Islamabad, Lahore, and Quetta, making moon sighting highly unlikely.
In Lahore, the Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, led by Auqaf Director General Khalid Mahmood, concluded the moon was not visible and deferred the final decision to the central committee in Peshawar.
Karachi’s zonal committee also stated there were no credible testimonies of moon sighting, despite waiting for further reports. Qari Nazir Naeemi of Karachi’s Zonal Committee confirmed there was no evidence received by Friday evening.
In Chaman and Quetta, local committees also confirmed no moon sighting evidence.
Experts explained that the moon, born at 5:45 am on Friday, was too young for visibility. The moon’s age at sunset was expected to be under 14 hours, well below the 19-hour threshold required for clear visibility.
Despite clear weather in parts of Balochistan, including Quetta, the moon’s age and low altitude further decreased the chances of a sighting. The gap between sunset and moonset in Quetta was reported to be less than the required 40 minutes, further diminishing visibility.
