The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee said on Thursday that the Shawwal moon has not been visible in Pakistan, hence Fitr will be observed on Saturday, April 22.
The declaration was made by the committee’s chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, during a press conference in Islamabad.
The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee met in Islamabad to sight the moon for Eid-ul-Fitr, while zonal bodies of the committee met in Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, and Lahore.
“No authentic testimony of the moon being sighted was received therefore it was agreed with the consensus that Eid ul Fitr will be on April 22,” he said.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) provided the coordinates and possibilities of seeing the moon earlier in the day.
“According to astronomical parameters, there is no chance of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1444 AH on the evening of April 20, 2023 i.e on 29th Ramazan, 1444 AH,” the department said.
Eid ul Fitr is a prominent Islamic feast observed at the end of the Holy Month of Ramazan.
There is no prospect of seeing the Eid ul Fitr moon
According to the Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council (RHRC), the chances of Eid ul Fitr 2023 occuring on April 21, Friday are extremely low because the new crescent will be born at 9:13 a.m. on April 20 and will be less than 10 hours old that day.
According to Mufti Khalid Ijaz, Eid ul Fitr 2023 will most likely be celebrated on April 22 following the completion of the holy month of Ramazan’s 30 fasting days. He had predicted that the Shawwal moon will not be seen on April 21 evening.
Eid-ul- Fitr in Gulf Countries
It will be celebrated tomorrow (Friday) in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) because the Shawwal moon was sighted on Thursday.
President Sheikh Sudais: Extends his Eid Greetings, Eid Mubarak, and may Allah accept good deeds from us and from you. pic.twitter.com/lpTIOwoBdy
— The Holy Mosques (@theholymosques) April 20, 2023
According to local media sources, the Saudi royal court announced that the first day of Shawwal will fall on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Shawwal moon was not seen in Pakistan, Indonesia, Singapore, Japan, Australia, the Philippines, or Thailand.
To read our blog on “UAE declares free parking and 0 tolls in honor of Eid ul Fitr,” click here