Pakistan to celebrate Eid al-Fitr on 21 March as Shawwal moon not sighted

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has announced that no verified reports of the Shawwal moon sighting were received anywhere in Pakistan. As a result, Friday will mark the 30th fast, and Eid al-Fitr will be observed on 21 March.

A meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.

In addition to committee members, representatives from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and SUPARCO also attended the session.

Following the meeting, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad confirmed that no credible evidence of the Shawwal moon sighting had been received from any part of the country.

Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan, is determined by the sighting of the crescent moon according to the Muslim lunar calendar.

The first fast in Pakistan was observed on February 19, with Ramadan completing 30 days as the moon was not sighted today.

Meanwhile, India will also observe Eid al-Fitr on Saturday after clerics in Lucknow and Hyderabad reported no confirmed sightings of the Shawwal crescent, local media said.

However, Delhi's Jama Masjid has yet to make an official announcement.

Similarly, the Shawwal moon was not sighted in Indonesia, where Eid al-Fitr will also be observed on Saturday.