The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee gathered to sight the moon of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic calendar. The moon has not been sighted.
The conference was also held in different cities across Pakistan by the central committee and its zonal subsidiaries. Later, the Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Kabir Azad conducted a press conference for the announcement.
The moon, however, wasn’t visible from anywhere in Pakistan on Thursday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD).
As the Moon has not been sighted, Eid ul Fitr is scheduled to fall on April 22.
Earlier, the PMD’s prediction was based on the occurrence of a solar eclipse in Pakistan on April 20, which took place on the 29th day of the moon date, with the new moon expected to appear on the following day. Astronomers had said that the new moon would not be visible in countries where the solar eclipse occurs on April 20.
It is noteworthy that the International Astronomy Center of Saudi Arabia had previously announced that Eidul Fitr would fall on Saturday, April 22, which is a day later than anticipated. The center had explained that it would not be possible to sight the crescent of the moon on Thursday (Ramadan 29) from anywhere in the Arab and Islamic world, and therefore, Eid would be celebrated on Saturday, April 22.
