The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is scheduled to meet today in Peshawar to officially announce the sighting of the Ramadan crescent, marking the start of the holy month, according to state-owned Radio Pakistan.
The meeting will be chaired by Moulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, the committee’s chairman. Additionally, Zonal Ruet-i-Hilal Committees will convene at their respective locations to observe the moon’s appearance.
Earlier this week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) predicted that Ramadan will begin on Sunday, March 2, with Eidul Fitr expected to fall on March 31. However, Suparco emphasized that the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee will gather testimony from across Pakistan to officially declare the start of Ramadan, as the moon’s visibility with the naked eye is an important religious practice to determine the month’s beginning.
Suparco’s press release stated that, based on precise astronomical calculations, the new moon for Ramadan will occur on February 28, 2025, at 05:45 PST. However, it also highlighted that the moon’s visibility will be extremely low due to factors like its age, separation from the sun, and weather conditions, making it unlikely to be seen without optical aids. As a result, the month of Sha’aban is expected to last 30 days, with the first day of fasting likely to fall on March 2.
In Saudi Arabia, where the new moon is also expected on February 28, conditions will allow for the crescent to be visible, meaning Ramadan there will begin on March 1. However, in Pakistan, the official start of Ramadan is expected a day later, on March 2.
Suparco’s press release further confirmed that the Shawwal moon will be visible on March 30, signaling that Eidul Fitr is likely to be observed on March 31 in Pakistan.
