Moon not sighted, Ramzan to begin from Thursday

E-Paper | April 24, 2026

KARACHI: The moon, marking the beginning of the Islamic month of Ramzan, was not sighted on Tuesday and the first day of the holy month will now fall on Thursday (July 11).

The announcement was made by Chairman of Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Pakistan Mufti Munibur Rehman in a press conference held after the conclusion of an official meeting of the committee on Tuesday at the Met Office.

The Chairman Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee said that no witnesses regarding the moon sighting were received from across the country.

The Holy month of Ramzan would now begin from July 11.

Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, of the unofficial ruet-i-hilal committee of Peshawar's Qasim Ali Khan mosque also announced that there were no witnesses received regarding the moon sighting and that the Holy month of Ramzan would commence from Thursday.

The unofficial committee of Peshawar's historic mosque has opposed the decisions of the official Central Ruet-i-Hilal committee Pakistan in the past.

The month of fasting will begin this Thursday across the country, barring a few small pockets.

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faiza g.r. bhatt

Jul 09, 2013 10:05pm

Wow! they missed the new moon by two days. on wednesday/thursday it will be waxing moon with 11% illumination, way too big for the new moon. they missed the moon on monday/tuesday night with 1% illumination and tuesday/wednesday night with 4% illumination.

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Muhammad Ahmed Mufti

Jul 09, 2013 10:03pm

With such thick glasses and prejudice against scientific calculations , no wonder the moon was not cited by the committee.

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Gerry D'Cunha

Jul 09, 2013 11:01pm

what a shame, the muslim community are still in their stone age period sighting the moon through their binoculars

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Adeel

Jul 10, 2013 12:09am

Pakistan is indeed a blessed land - the crescent can be seen for four days straight. Interesting that they committee will use science to use a telescope, use science to position said telescope, but not trust science to determine whether or not the moon will be visible on top of the building where the ruet-e-hilal committee is being held. SubhanAllah - wohee is mulk ka hafiz.

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gee

Jul 10, 2013 02:37am

What an ignorance - New moon happened to be on July 8, 2013 at 12:16:06 AM. Modern astronomy went down the tube.

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Bacchus Piggawala

Jul 10, 2013 04:41am

The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chair has to be the best job in the world. Hardly any work, and you have a whole nation on tenterhooks. Judging from the thickness of the lens of his spectacles, I get the feeling he won't even the able to spot a rickshaw on the street, let alone a crescent.

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Aaman

Jul 10, 2013 04:56am

Stone Age mentality, These Mullah/Taliban need to go beyond Madrissa education...

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iqbal carrim

Jul 10, 2013 10:43am

Unbelievable ! This is due to a highly polluted sky.Everywhere in the world, the first Roza has started either on Tuesday or Wednesday.

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Parvez

Jul 10, 2013 01:45pm

.......just means Popalzai is gettin old.