Ministry of Religious Affairs has summoned the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet on Sunday, May 17, to sight the moon for Zul Hijjah 1447.

The session will be held at the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi and chaired by Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.

Zonal committees will meet simultaneously at provincial headquarters in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, and Peshawar.

The ministry has issued a formal notification for the sittings.

If the crescent is sighted on Sunday, Eid al-Azha will fall on Wednesday, May 27. If the moon is not visible, the festival will be observed on Thursday, May 28.

Eid likely on May 27

Astronomical data supports the earlier date.

The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) has said the new moon of Zul Hijjah 1447 is expected to be born on May 17 at 1:15 p.m., giving the crescent an age of approximately eight hours and 30 minutes by sunset.

SUPARCO added that coastal areas of Pakistan could see a gap of around 60 minutes between sunset and moonset on the day, conditions that may support naked-eye visibility if skies remain clear.

Based on these projections, SUPARCO estimates the first of Zul Hijjah will fall on Monday, May 18, putting Eid-ul-Azha on May 27.

The final determination, however, rests with the official moon-sighting committees.