Ramadan moon sighted, first fast in Pakistan on Thursday

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Wednesday announced that the crescent for Ramadan 2026 was sighted in Pakistan, and the first day of fasting will be observed on Thursday, February 19.

Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad announced this during a press conference in Peshawar.

The meeting was attended by DG Ministry of Religious Affairs, Hafiz Abdul Quddus; SUPARCO representative, Shaukat Ullah; Pakistan Meteorological Department representative, Dr. Hasan Ali Baig; and Zeen Ul Abideen from the Ministry of Science and Technology.

In addition to Peshawar, zonal committee meetings were also held in the federal capital Islamabad and other provincial capitals.

He said testimonies were received from different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, including Upper Dir, Swabi, Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar, Karachi, and other cities.

A day earlier, Saudi Arabia and several Gulf countries — including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Kuwait — confirmed the sighting of the crescent and began fasting on Wednesday.

Ramadan is observed by more than a billion Muslims worldwide, who fast from dawn to sunset as an act of worship marked by reflection, self-restraint, and charity.