The Shawwal crescent has been sighted in various parts of Pakistan, including Islamabad and Lahore, leading to the official announcement of Eid-ul-Fitr by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

The committee convened in Islamabad, chaired by its chairman, to assess moon sighting reports. The meeting began at 6:10 PM on the rooftop of the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Kohsar Block, where a state-of-the-art optical telescope, provided by SUPARCO, was installed to enhance the observation process.

Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees also held meetings in their respective provincial capitals to confirm local sightings. After reviewing testimonies from across the country, the committee formally announced the sighting of the Shawwal moon.

According to the Research Ruet-e-Hilal Council, the moon was born the previous day at 3:58 AM, making it approximately 26 hours old by sunset today. This made its visibility highly likely, as a minimum age of 19 hours is required for human-eye observation. The Meteorological Department had also predicted a strong possibility of moon sighting.

The federal government had already declared Eid holidays from Monday, March 31, to Wednesday, April 2.

Meanwhile, several countries, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen, Palestine, Afghanistan, and the UK, celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr today. Thousands of worshippers gathered for Eid prayers at Masjid al-Haram in Makkah and Masjid an-Nabawi in Madinah.

In Pakistan, the Bohra community and residents of Bajaur district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also observed Eid today. Additionally, ANP leader Aimal Wali had earlier announced celebrating Eid in line with Saudi Arabia.