Ramadan Crescent Sighted in Pakistan; First Fast to Be Observed on February 19

Islamabad: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has officially announced that the crescent moon for Ramadan 1447 AH has been sighted, and the first fast will be observed across Pakistan on Wednesday, February 19.

The announcement was made by Abdul Khabir Azad, Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, following a meeting held in Peshawar under his chairmanship.

Zonal committee meetings were also conducted simultaneously in Karachi, Quetta, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore and other cities, where testimonies of moon sighting were collected and forwarded to the central committee for verification.

Initially, the central committee received 21 testimonies of moon sighting from Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, and Islamabad. Additionally, six testimonies were received by a zonal committee. After verification of the reports, the chairman formally declared that the Ramadan moon had been sighted nationwide.

Earlier in the evening, reports from Lahore indicated that the crescent had not been sighted in the city. The expected sighting time in Lahore was 6:52 pm. A meeting was held at the Auqaf Building under the chairmanship of DG Auqaf Shahid Hussain, attended by religious scholars and officials from the Meteorological Department.

The last expected moon sighting time in Rahim Yar Khan was 7:08 pm, while in Balochistan it was 7:47 pm.

Prior to the announcement, Chairman Abdul Khabir Azad had stated in a press conference in Peshawar that if the moon was sighted, the entire country would observe the first fast together. He emphasized unity and national solidarity, urging the nation to welcome Ramadan with religious devotion.

Astronomers had earlier predicted a strong likelihood of the crescent being visible on February 18.

It is noteworthy that the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had forecast that the new moon was born on February 17 at 5:01 pm. By sunset on February 18, the moon’s age was approximately 25 hours and 48 minutes, making it visible to the naked eye.

With the official announcement, Muslims across Pakistan will begin observing the holy month of Ramadan from February 19.