- Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to convene at 4:30pm in Peshawar.
- Zonal committees to meet in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Islamabad.
- Suparco forecasts Ramadan moon to be sighted on Feb 18 (today).
PESHAWAR: Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad has said that the body will meet in Peshawar for Ramadan 2026 moon sighting today.
The central committee will convene at 4:30pm at the Auqaf Hall under Maulana Azad, whereas zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees will meet in Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Islamabad.
Speaking on Geo News‘ programme “Geo Pakistan”, Maulana Azad said that in recent years Ramadan has been announced on the same day, in recent years and God willing, this time it will be the same as well.
The official also noted that the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), and Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) are also part of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and will assist the body in moon sighting.
The Suparco has forecast that the crescent for Ramadan 1447 Hijri is likely to be visible on February 18 (today) — making February 19 the expected first day of fasting.
It is estimated that at sunset on February 18, the moon’s age will be approximately 25 hours and 48 minutes. In coastal areas, the time difference between sunset and moonset is expected to be around 59 minutes, enhancing the chances of naked-eye sighting.
A day earlier, the Ramadan crescent was sighted in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Kuwait, whose residents are observing their first fast today.
The countries reporting no sighting on Tuesday include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, Japan, Turkiye, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, and Brunei.
The Muslim world welcomes Ramadan with deep religious devotion, as over a billion believers fast to practice patience, self-discipline, and generosity.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.
As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar — which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis — Ramadan shifts annually across the Gregorian calendar.
In Pakistan, the government has announced a Ramadan package worth Rs38 billion, benefiting more than 12 million families through digital payments, who will receive Rs13,000 each.
Meanwhile, the Power Division has directed all electricity distribution companies (Discos), including K-Electric, to ensure an uninterrupted supply during Sehr and Iftar in Ramadan.
All Discos have been directed to promptly address electricity consumer complaints and avoid unannounced load-shedding.
