Eid Mubarak: Pakistan witnesses the Shawaal moon

Pakistan will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr tomorrow (Monday), after the Shawwal 1446 moon for Eid-ul-Fitr 2025 was spotted in several cities throughout the nation, including Lahore, Islamabad, and Faisalabad.

Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, made the statement at a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday.

Addressing the media, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad acknowledged that legitimate moon sighting reports had been received from numerous areas around the country.

“The Shawwal moon has been sighted, and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across the country tomorrow,” the governor said.

Maulana Azad chaired the moon sighting meeting in Islamabad, which included officials from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the Meteorological Department, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), who provided technical assistance.

According to reports, the sky in Islamabad and neighboring regions remained clear, allowing for easy viewing of the moon.

According Pakistani accounts, the moon was first seen in Lahore just after Maghrib Azaan on Sunday.

Earlier, the Meteorological Department forecast that bright skies across much of the nation, including Karachi, would improve the chances of seeing the moon.

According to SUPARCO, the new moon of Shawwal appeared yesterday, March 29, at 3:58 PM (Pakistan time).

By sunset on March 30, the moon was around 27 hours old and visible throughout Pakistan.

Simultaneously, zonal moon seeing committee meetings were held in key cities including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta to confirm testimony.

With the official confirmation of the Shawwal moon sighting, worldwide preparations for Eid-ul-Fitr are underway, as families and communities prepare to celebrate the festive event tomorrow.
The government has already declared a three- and four-day break for offices that work five and six days each week, respectively.

It should be recalled that both Saudi Arabia and the UAE reported the sighting of the crescent moon on March 29, which was the first day of Shawwal and the formal commencement of Eid celebrations.

Similarly, several Middle Eastern nations, including Kuwait, Qatar, and Iran, have announced Eid celebrations for Sunday.

However, in numerous other countries, the Shawwal moon was not seen on the evening of March 29, prompting the announcement that Eid ul Fitr will be held on Monday, March 31, 2025.

These nations are Oman, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Australia.

For example, the National Moon Sighting Committee of Bangladesh determined that the crescent moon was not visible, making Sunday, March 30, the last day of Ramadan.