The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced on Monday that the crescent for Ramazan 2024 was sighted in Pakistan; and the first Ramazan will be observed on Tuesday, March 12.
Chairman of the committee Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad announced this during a press conference in Peshawar.
He said testimonies were received from different areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, including Lahore, Peshawar, Swat, Sargodha and other cities.
“Based on these testimonies, it was decided that the Ramazan moon has been sighted in the country, and the first Ramazan will be observed on Tuesday,” he said.
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Maulana Khabir mentioned that the sky was clouded in some parts of the country, but testimonies were received from other areas where the sky was clear.
Clerics representing various Islamic schools of thought participated in the Ruet-e-Hilal committee meeting to determine the start of the ninth Islamic month.
Director General Syed Mushahid Hussain Khalid from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, Ghulam Murtaza from the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, Dr Sardar Sarfaraz from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, and Zainul Abedin from the Ministry of Science and Technology, attended the meeting.
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Among the members of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee were Yasin Zafar, Allama Dr Muhammad Hussain Akbar, Mufti Faisal Ahmed, Qari Abdul Rauf Madani, Mufti Ali Asghar Attari, Mufti Yusuf Kashmiri, Mufti Zameer Ahmad Sajid, Pir Syed Shahid Ali Jilani, Maulana Abdul Malik Brohi, Maulana Ashraf Ali, Mufti Qari Mehrullah, Sahibzada Syed Habibullah Chishti, and Maulana Asad Zakaria Qasmi.
Representatives from the Zonal Committee Peshawar included Maulana Ehsanul Haq, Maulana Mufti Fazlullah, Maulana Muhammad Ali Shah, Maulana Syed Abdul Basir Rostami, Allama Abid Hussain Shakri, and Mufti Atiqullah Qadri, along with other esteemed scholars.
Earlier on Sunday, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad appealed to all citizens of Pakistan to be vigilant in sighting the moon of Ramazan, expressing hope for a unified day of fasting for the country.
He also provided contact information for inquiries regarding moon sightings: Chairman (0321-9410041 / 0333-9100619), DG Religious Affairs (0300-6831822), and Office Administrator Auqaf Peshawar (091-9330427).
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