Late Thursday evening, Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee finally put the question to rest. They checked every report that came in and confirmed the Shawwal crescent stayed hidden across the entire country. Because of that, Eid-ul-Fitr will be observed on Saturday, March 21, 2026, and Friday will serve as the 30th and closing day of Ramadan.
Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, who chaired the session, spoke directly to the media in Islamabad. “We didn’t get even one trustworthy sighting from anywhere in Pakistan,” he said clearly. The central team in the capital worked alongside zonal and district committees in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. All of them scanned the western horizon soon after sunset, yet nobody spotted anything convincing.
Why the Moon Was Hard to See
The outcome aligned with what experts had predicted earlier. According to SUPARCO, the new moon for Shawwal 1447 AH appeared at 6:23 a.m. on March 19. When the sun set that evening, the moon was just 12 hours and 41 minutes old. That left only a narrow 28-minute window for possible visibility, and the sky conditions weren’t helpful at all. So most people had already expected Ramadan to run the full 30 days.
Different Dates in Nearby Countries
The situation wasn’t the same everywhere nearby. Saudi Arabia and a number of Gulf nations also failed to see the crescent, meaning their Eid falls on Friday, March 20. Afghanistan went the other way and began celebrations a day earlier. These variations are quite common since each place depends on its own local moon-sighting efforts.
How the Islamic Calendar Works
Additionally, Pakistan started Ramadan this year on February 19. The lunar Islamic calendar follows the actual sighting of the thin new crescent, which is why a month can last 29 or 30 days. That simple rule causes Islamic dates to move forward by roughly ten days each year on the regular Gregorian calendar.
Moreover, Eid-ul-Fitr wraps up the holy month with joy and gratitude. Muslims offer special prayers in mosques or open spaces, distribute Zakat-ul-Fitr to support the needy, visit loved ones, enjoy sweet treats like sheer khurma, exchange hugs and “Eid Mubarak” greetings, and feel a deep sense of renewal and unity.
