Speculation about the date of Eid al-Fitr in Pakistan has finally come to an end, as the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee officially announced that no credible moon sighting for Shawwal was reported from any part of the country. As a result, it has been decided that the month of Ramadan will complete 30 days, with the final fast to be observed on Friday, and Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday, March 21, 2026.
Prior to this announcement, extensive arrangements had been made across the country for the sighting of the Shawwal crescent. The main meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was held in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad. Alongside committee members, representatives from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and SUPARCO (Pakistan’s national space agency) were also present, providing scientific input regarding the likelihood of moon visibility.
Simultaneously, zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committee meetings were conducted in provincial capitals and other major cities, where local reports regarding moon sightings were collected and reviewed. These reports were then forwarded to the central committee for a final decision.
In Peshawar, the zonal committee received a total of six testimonies claiming the sighting of the moon. Out of these, five were reported via telephone, while one individual personally appeared before the committee. All these testimonies were carefully reviewed and subsequently sent to the central committee for verification.
However, after thorough scrutiny based on both religious criteria and supporting scientific evidence, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee concluded that these testimonies did not meet the required standards for acceptance. Consequently, the claims were rejected, and no official confirmation of moon sighting was made.
Following the meeting, Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad formally announced that no authenticated reports of the Shawwal moon had been received from anywhere in Pakistan. Therefore, Ramadan will complete 30 days, and Eid al-Fitr will be observed nationwide on Saturday, March 21.
With the announcement now confirmed, people across the country have begun finalizing their Eid preparations. Markets, shopping centers, and households are witnessing increased activity as citizens gear up to celebrate the festive occasion after the last fast.
This decision once again reflects Pakistan’s approach of combining religious guidelines with scientific input to ensure a unified and well-informed announcement, helping maintain national harmony regarding important religious observances.