Eid-ul-Adha 2020 to be celebrated on August 1 in Pakistan: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee

KARACHI: Eid-ul-Adha 2020 was to be celebrated on August 1, central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairperson Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman said Tuesday, after the body met here in the city to sight the Zilhajj moon and determine the dates for the religious festivity.

The meeting was held with Mufti Muneeb in the chair, with the those of the zonal committees taking place at the provincial headquarters.

In Quetta, Maulana Anwarul Haq Haqqani, as well as officials of the district administration and the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), gathered for the moon-sighting. PMD officials said the moon would be visible for more than 20 minutes and that the city's skies were clear.

On the other hand, a meeting of the zonal committee in Islamabad concluded, with its report sent to Karachi, according to Mufti Zamir Ahmed Sajid.

The central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee's chairperson would make an announcement regarding the sighting of the moon, Mufti Sajid added.

The director-general of Punjab's Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Dr Tahir Raza Bukhari, said the Zilhajj moon was not sighted in Lahore. However, he added that a final decision would be made by the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

Earlier, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had said that Eid ul Adha would be celebrated on July 31 in Pakistan "as per calendar of the Ministry of Science and Technology".

Taking to Twitter, Chaudhry had said that the moon for the month of Zilhajj would be seen in Karachi and its surrounding areas on July 21. He had added that the moon could be sighted with the help of binoculars and in some areas, with the naked eye as well.

Govt working on policy to contain COVID-19 on Eid

Last month, Interior Minister Brig (retd) Ejaz Ahmed Shah had said the government was working out a comprehensive policy to contain the COVID-19 outbreak in the country during Eid-ul-Adha.

"Sacrifice of animals on Eid-ul-Adha is a religious obligation and the government will ensure every possible facility in this regard to manage the occasion safely and contain the risk of COVID-19 outbreak," the minister had said while chairing a meeting.

He added that all the arrangements should be made in line with the safety measures and guidelines issued by the health authorities.

"A clear strategy is being formulated in consultation with all stakeholders. We [will] also seek guidance from the ulema in this regard," he had said, adding the protection of the livestock farmers’ interest would also be ensured.

The federal government in this regard has issued SOPs for cattle markets, directing them to ensure no one is allowed inside without a face mask and that the markets are established in specific places.

Saudi Arabia to celebrate Eid ul Adha on July 31

On Monday Saudi Arabia announced it would celebrate Eid-ul-Adha on Friday, July 31,

The Kingdom's Supreme Court said Tuesday would mark the 30th of Ziqad, and Wednesday, July 22, would be the first day of Zil Hajj, according to Gulf News.

According to these calculations, July 31, will mark the first day of Eid-ul-Adha.

"This means that Wednesday, July 22, will be the first of Zil Hajj that marks the start of this year’s Hajj season, which will be limited to only 10,000 pilgrims from within the Kingdom due to the coronavirus pandemic," the publication reported.