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Eid ul Fitr 2025: Ruet-e-Hilal to meet on March 30 for Shawwal moon sighting

According to astronomical models, Shawwal moon will be visible on March 30, indicating that Eid will likely fall in Pakistan on March 31

By APP & Web Desk

March 18, 2025

A member of Pakistans moon sighting committee is silhouetted as he uses theodolite to look for the new moon as Muslims attend an evening prayer session called Tarawih to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan, March 11.— Reuters — A member of Pakistan's moon sighting committee is silhouetted as he uses theodolite to look for the new moon as Muslims attend an evening prayer session called 'Tarawih' to mark the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Pakistan, March 11.— Reuters

ISLAMABAD: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, along with zonal committees, will gather on Sunday evening, March 30, 2025 (Ramadan 29, 1446 AH), to observe the Shawwal moon, possibly marking the conclusion of Ramadan.

The committee’s meeting will be held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Religious scholars, meteorological experts, and other stakeholders will deliberate on moon sighting reports from across the country during the session to determine the date for Eid ul Fitr celebrations across Pakistan.

The beginning of the ninth and holiest month in the Muslim calendar — as well as the Eid holidays and the mourning month of Muharram — is determined by the sighting of the new moon.

Last month, the Pakistan Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) forecasted the visibility of the Ramadan and Shawwal crescents using scientific assessments, astronomical calculations, and modern observational data.

The graph shows scientific assessments and astronomical calculations about the possibility of Eid-ul-Fitr moon sighting on March 30, 2025. — Suparco

According to astronomical models, the Shawwal moon will be visible on March 30, indicating that Eid-ul-Fitr will likely fall in Pakistan on March 31, 2025.

Since the unaided-eye observation of the crescent moon is a religious obligation for determining the start of the holy month, the committee will examine testimonies from across the country and formally announce the official commencement of this year's Shawwal.