Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, while speaking to the media in Peshawar, said that the different zonal committees across the country were set up to receive testimonies for the moon sighting.
“No testimony was received for sighting of the moon from any place in the country,” he said, adding that after reaching a consensus, it was decided that the first day of the holy month will land on Sunday.
In a separate announcement following the committee’s decision, the federal government also announced that the Ramazan moon was not sighted, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.
Ramazan 1 shall commence on Sunday (March 2), according to the notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.
Media reported earlier today that the 24-member committee had assembled and that the weather in Peshawar was overcast, which lessened the possibility that the moon would be sighted.
Zonal Ruet-i-Hilal Committees in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and other cities also gathered to sight the new moon, according to media reports.
The zonal committee in Quetta said that the moon had not been sighted anywhere in Balochistan, a Dawn.com correspondent reported, quoting zonal committee member Maulana Anwarul Haq Haqqani.
“There was heavy rain in the coastal areas of Balochistan,” Haqqani said, adding that the central committee was updated about the situation.
“The central Ruet-i-Hilal committee will announce the final decision,” he added.
Meanwhile, a correspondent present in Peshawar said that the zonal committee in Islamabad informed the central committee that the Ramazan moon had not been sighted in the capital.
Earlier this week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) had forecasted that the holy month of Ramazan would begin on March 2 (Sunday), while Eidul Fitr would be observed on the 31st of the month.
However, it emphasised that the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee would examine testimonies from across the country and formally announce the holy month’s official start since the unaided observation of the crescent moon with the naked eye was a religious obligation for determining the month’s beginning.
“According to precise astronomical models, the new moon (conjunction) for Ramazan will occur on February 28, 2025, at 05:45 PST. However, the visibility of the crescent depends on key factors such as the moon’s age, its angular separation from the sun, altitude at sunset, and atmospheric conditions,” Suparco said in a press release.
It added that the probability of the moon’s visibility on Feb 28 was “not visible even with optical aid”, and thus the likelihood of a moon sighting on the date in Pakistan is “extremely low”.
According to foreign media reports, the crescent moon of Ramadan was not sighted in several countries, including Malaysia and Singapore. As a result, the first fast of the holy month will be observed on Sunday in these regions.
Similarly, Australia and Brunei have also announced that the first fast will be on Sunday, following the absence of moon sighting reports.
Meanwhile, the Ramadan moon was not sighted in Lucknow, India, according to Indian media reports. Similarly, Sri Lanka also did not confirm the sighting of the crescent.
However, the Indonesian government officially announced the sighting of the moon, confirming that the first fast will be observed in the country tomorrow (Sunday). Indonesian media reported that the government’s announcement came half an hour later than the scheduled time.
Authorities in these countries rely on official moon sighting committees and astronomical calculations to determine the beginning of the Islamic month. With the moon not visible, Ramadan will commence a day later than in regions where the crescent was spotted.
The moon of Ramazan has been sighted in Saudi Arabia, marking the beginning of the holy month. According to details, the first day of fasting will be observed tomorrow, Saturday, March 1.
On the other hand, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan, led by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, convened in Peshawar to sight the Ramadan moon. Zonal committees across major cities, including Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Islamabad, also held meetings to assess moon sighting reports.
According to officials, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) utilized digital telescopes nationwide, linking their stations via video in Peshawar to aid in crescent observation. Representatives from the Met Department and scholars from various sects participated in the deliberations.
The Met Department reported cloudy conditions in several cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, and Quetta, reducing the likelihood of spotting the moon.