Pakistan is gearing up to embrace the holy month of Ramadan as the crescent moon was sighted on Monday evening in Lahore and Peshawar. Muslims across the country will commence fasting from the following day, Tuesday, as announced by Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, the Chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Chairing a meeting in Peshawar dedicated to the sighting of the Ramadan moon for the Hijri year 1445, Maulana Azad officially declared the onset of the sacred month. He expressed his optimism for a unified start of Ramadan across the nation and urged all Pakistanis to keep an eye out for the Ramadan moon on the upcoming evening.
Simultaneously, similar meetings were held by other zonal and district Ruet-e-Hilal Committees in their respective regions to confirm the sighting of the crescent moon.
Interestingly, the crescent moon for Ramadan had been sighted a day earlier in several Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for instance, declared the commencement of Ramadan on Monday, March 11, following the confirmation by their respective moon-sighting committees on Sunday.
The sighting of the crescent moon is significant as it marks the beginning of the month in the Islamic Hijri calendar. According to the Saudi Supreme Court, the crescent was observed on Sunday evening, signaling the conclusion of the Sha’ban month and the imminent arrival of Ramadan.
