Pakistan begins Ramazan today as crescent sighted

PESHAWAR (Dunya News) – The Ramazan moon for 1447 Hijri has been sighted in various cities across Pakistan, and the first fast will be observed nationwide on Thursday (today).

Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, announced the sighting of the moon, confirming that the first fast will be observed tomorrow, while the first Taraweeh prayers will be offered tonight.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting to sight the Ramazan moon was held in Peshawar, chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.

The central meeting took place at the Auqaf Hall on Charsadda Road, while zonal committee meetings were held in Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, and Quetta.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Azad said weather conditions varied across the country, with clear skies in some areas and cloudy conditions in others.

He stated that moon-sighting testimonies were received from multiple locations, including Quetta, Islamabad, Waziristan, Dir, Karachi, Buner, Mardan and Tando Allahyar.

“After reviewing the evidence, the committee unanimously decided that the first day of Ramadan will fall on Thursday,” he said.

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Members of the committee, along with representatives from the Meteorological Department, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), and the Ministry of Science and Technology, attended the central meeting.

Meanwhile, a separate meeting of the unofficial Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was also held at Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, chaired by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai.

The Ramazan moon has also been sighted in Bangladesh and India, where the first fast will be observed tomorrow.

Earlier, the first fast was observed today in Saudi Arabia, Gulf countries, and Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Iraq, Oman, Türkiye, Indonesia, and Malaysia will begin fasting tomorrow, while Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan will observe their first fast on Thursday.