The meeting, chaired by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, was convened to determine the start of Ramazan 1446 Hijri in Peshawar.

Maulana Azad announced that the Ramazan moon was not sighted in Pakistan, and the first Ramazan will be observed on Sunday.

He stated that reports from the Meteorological Department and SUPARCO indicated that the weather was cloudy in many areas.

Zonal committees across various cities, including Karachi, Quetta, Islamabad, and Lahore, held meetings, but no credible moon sighting reports were received.

All zonal committees informed the central committee that the moon was not visible.

In Islamabad, the Ruet-e-Hilal zonal committee also confirmed that no testimonies had been received.

Committee members, who had gathered on the rooftop for observation, later moved back to the meeting room.

During the Meteorological Department’s meeting in Karachi, Nazir Ahmed Naeemi stated that no moon sighting reports had been received from the city so far.

Zonal and district moon sighting committees were convened at their respective locations across the country, while Islamabad’s zonal committee is meeting at the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

The final announcement was made by the chairman based on testimonies received from across Pakistan.

Officials from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and SUPARCO also attended the meeting.

SUPARCO forecast

Earlier this week, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) said that the first day of Ramadan in Pakistan is anticipated to be observed on March 2, 2025.

The new moon is expected to appear on February 28, 2025, at 5:45am, however, due to its low position in the sky (only 5 degrees above the horizon) and its young age of just 12 hours, spotting the crescent moon that evening will be challenging, according to the government’s institution.

The angular distance between the sun and the moon will be seven degrees, making it “nearly impossible to see the crescent with the naked eye.”

In contrast, SUPARCO indicated that Saudi Arabia might sight the crescent today, which could lead to Ramazan beginning on March 1 in the kingdom. Thus, there will be a one-day difference in the start of the holy month between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan.

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