RamazanThe holy month of Ramazan will commence in Pakistan from Tuesday, April 7, as the new moon of the Islamic month was not sighted throughout the country on Sunday.
The decision was made at a meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, under the chairmanship of Mufti Munibur Rehman, convened in Karachi for the sighting of the Ramazan moon.
“The new moon will not show up until it is 19 hours of age and the difference between sunset and moonrise is 40 minutes. Therefore, the moon’s distance from the earth should be at an angle of six degrees and of the moon to the sun should be 10 degrees,” Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council’s Secretary-General Aijaz Khalid Mufti said. “On Sunday at sunset in all areas of Pakistan, the age of the moon was less than 16 hours and the difference between sunset and moonrise all over Pakistan was not more than 29 minutes,” he said, further predicting that Pakistanis will be fasting for a total of 29 days and that Eidul Fitr is likely to be celebrated on June 5.
In Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries, the holy month commences from Monday (today) as the new moon of Ramazan was not sighted in the region on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said a five-member committee has been constituted to prepare a 10-year calendar for Muharram, eids and Ramazan to end dispute arising from sighting of the crescent.
In a tweet, the minister said the lunar calendar will be promulgated in the country after getting approval from the federal cabinet. He said the committee will consist of members from Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Meteorological Department and Science and Technology Ministry and they would start working from next week.