Suparco says first day of Ramazan is likely to fall on Feb 19

Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Friday that the first day of the holy month of Ramazan is expected to fall on February 19.

In a statement, the national space agency said the new moon is expected to be formed on February 17 at 5:01pm.

It said that by sunset on February 18, the moon’s age would be about 25 hours and 48 minutes. The gap between sunset and moonset along coastal areas of the country is expected to be around 59 minutes, according to the statement.

Based on these observations, Suparco indicated that the first day of Ramazan is likely to be observed on February 19.

The agency, however, emphasised that the official declaration of the start of the holy month rests with the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee. It said the committee is the authorised body to make the final decision after reviewing credible witness reports from across the country.

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) also issued its assessment, saying there was a fair possibility of sighting the Ramazan moon on the evening of February 18.