Eid ul Fitr to be celebrated in Pakistan today as Shawwal moon sighted

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Tuesday announced that Eidul Fitr would fall on Wednesday (April 10) as the Shawwal moon was sighted.

The announcement came after a meeting of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee at the Federal Secreta­riat’s Kohsar Block in Islamabad, while meetings of zonal and district Ruet-i-Hilal committees were held at their respective headquarters concurrently.

The meeting was chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, and attended by the members of the Ruet-i-Hilal Commit­tee, as well as officials from the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), Suparco, and the Ministry of Science and Technology.

Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Maulana Azad said testimonies of moon sightings were received from majority of the country and hence Eid would be celebrated tomorrow. Azad said the moon was sighted in Karachi, Dir, Faisalabad, Skardu and other areas. He congratulated the nation on the occasion and said a “message of unity” was being sent to the Islamic world due to Eid falling on the same day.

Maulana Azad said all sections of society would need to move forward together for the sake of the country and paid tribute to the sacrifices of the armed forces for peace in the country. “The narrative of Pakistan is that stance which has broken the back of terrorism, extremism and suicide attacks.” Multiple countries across the world will celebrate Eidul Fitr on Wednesday (today) after the crescent was not sighted on Monday. Pakistan will also celebrate Eid with the rest of the world. However, the moon was not sighted in India and Bangladesh, which will celebrate Eidul Fitr on Thursday.

Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait and Australia are some of the countries which will be celebrating Eid today. The Met department has said that according to astronomical parameters, there is a “chance” of spotting the moon today. It said the weather was expected to be partly cloudy or fair in most of the country. A day earlier, the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee had also requ­es­ted citizens to share any information regarding sightings of the moon with the committees in their respective areas.

Talking to media, Maulana Azad had said that extensive meetings and discussions were held with clerics and religious groups across the country, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. All groups who had apprehensions with the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee in the past were taken on board and it is unlikely that any cleric would form their private moon sighting committee, he had said.

India and Bangladesh — the neighbouring countries in South Asia region — announced to celebrate Eid ul Fitr on April 11 (Thursday) as Shawwal crescent was not sighted there. Shawwal moon marks the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan in which Muslims observe fasts from sunrise to sunset, and the commencement of Shawwal in which first three days are celebrated as Eid ul Fitr as per Islamic lunar calendar.

Meanwhile in Pakistan, the central moon sighting body, Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, announced Shawwal moon sighting, meaning the first day of Eid ul Fitr will fall tomorrow (Wednesday), after collecting evidence from different parts of the country. In Indian capital New Delhi, imams of the renowned mosque including Jama Masjid Delhi and Fatehpuri announced that crescent was not sighted today, therefore, Eid would be celebrated on Thursday (April 11), according to Hindustan Times. The same outcomes were announced by the central moon sighting committee of India’s Karnataka state which sat in the capital city of Bangalore today, and Markazi Chand Committee Eidgah, Lucknow — the capital of Uttar Pradesh state.