Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet for Ramzan moon sighting on Sunday

ISLAMABAD: A meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee under the chair of Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman would be held in Karachi on Sunday for the sighting of the crescent of Ramzan-ul-Mubarak, said an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Talking to APP, the official said other members of the committee would attend Zonal and District Ruet-e-Hilal Committees at their respective places.

On April 26, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted that the Ramzan moon would likely be sighted on the evening of May 6.

The department further said, the new moon of Ramzan, 1440 AH will be born on crossing conjunction point at 03:45 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on May 5. The moon will be sighted on the evening of Monday, May 6 and the holy month of Ramzan is expected to begin on May 7.

According to the astronomical parameters, there is no chance of sighting of the new moon on the evening of May 05, i.e. 29 Shaaban, the met office said.

“The new moon will be 15 hours and 18 minutes old by the time sun sets on Sunday, May 05 in Pakistan, and it will be only seven degrees above the horizon,” an expert said.

Saudi Arabia and other countries in the Middle East, however, will be able to see the moon on May 05 and hold the first fast of the holy month on May 06.

South Asian neighbours Bangladesh, India and other countries in Asia and Africa will also sight the Ramzan moon on May 06 like Pakistan.