Shawwal moon not sighted in Pakistan; Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday

ISLAMABAD:  The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee (CRHC) has announced that the Shawwal moon was not sighted across Pakistan, stating that Eid-ul-Fitr, marking the end of Ramazan, will be observed on Saturday, March 21.

The committee convened in Islamabad under the chair of CRHC Chairman Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad to collect moon-sighting reports from across the country. Regional zonal committees assisted in confirming the moon sighting.

Azad said that testimonies and evidence confirmed that the moon could not be seen in any part of the country in line with earlier forecasts by the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) and the Pakistan Meteorological Department, both of which had predicted low chances of sighting on Friday, March 19.

Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, however, are set to celebrate Eid on Friday, March 20.