The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to convene in Peshawar on February 28 (Friday) to sight the crescent for Ramadan 1446 Hijri, the Ministry of Religious Affairs announced on Thursday.
The meeting will be presided over by committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad and will take place after Asr prayers. Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees will hold simultaneous meetings in their respective regions, forwarding their observations to the central body.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs will oversee the arrangements for the session, which will include participation from clerics of various schools of thought. The committee will announce whether the moon has been sighted or not, thereby determining the commencement of the holy month.
According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the new moon is expected to be born on February 28 at 5:45pm. Based on astronomical projections, there is a likelihood of the crescent being visible on March 1, making March 2 the first day of fasting in Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the International Astronomical Centre (IAC) in Abu Dhabi has forecasted that Ramadan is expected to begin on March 1 in several Arab countries, with most Muslim nations attempting to sight the moon on February 28.
Ramadan, a sacred month of fasting, is observed with religious fervour across Pakistan and the Muslim world. The month is marked by increased acts of charity, public food drives, and communal iftars. Economic activity also tends to rise, with heightened shopping trends leading up to Eid ul Fitr.
A formal announcement regarding the moon sighting will be made by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee following its deliberations on Friday evening.
