Zilhaj moon not sighted: Eidul Azha to be celebrated in Pakistan on Aug 1

KARACHI: Eidul Azha will be celebrated across Pakistan on August 01, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman announced after no reports were received of credible sighting of the Zilhaj moon on Tuesday.

The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman said, “We have reached a consensus that the moon for Zilhaj was not sighted and Eidul Azha will now be celebrated across the country on August 01.”

The announcement was preceded by meetings of the central moon-sighting committee and other zonal committees in all provincial capitals of the country. No credible sighting of the moon was reported from anywhere in the country, it said.

Zilhaj will now commence tomorrow (Thursday) whereas Eidul Azha will be celebrated across Pakistan on August 01. Earlier, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had said that Eidul Azha would be celebrated on July 31 in Pakistan "as per calendar of the Ministry of Science and Technology".

Taking to Twitter, Fawad Chaudhry had said that the moon for the month of Zilhaj 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. However, his projection proved wrong and no witnesses of the moon were received from any part of the country.