Pakistan Eid ul Adha moon: When will Zil Hajj start?

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet today (Monday) to sight the Zil Hajj moon, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony said.

In a statement, the ministry said the committee would meet under the leadership of its chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.

Representatives of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, SUPARCO, Department of Meteorology, and Ministry of Science and Technology will partake in the meeting.

The meetings of the zonal committees of Ruet-e-Hilal will be held in the respective cities.

If the moon is sighted today, the first Zil Hajj will be observed on June 20 (Tuesday), and Eid ul Adha will be celebrated on June 29 (Thursday).

The Met Office, earlier said that the birth of the moon was expected on June 18 at 9:37pm, which could be sighted on June 19.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets on the 29th of every Islamic month and makes the announcement after sighting the moon.

The crescent moon for Zil Hajj was sighted in Saudi Arabia on Sunday and the first day of the month is being observed today (June 19).

The day of Arafah — considered the holiest in Islam — will be on Tuesday (June 27) while the first day of Eid ul Adha will be celebrated on Wednesday (June 28) in the kingdom.