The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Friday said that the Ramazan moon was not sighted in the country and that the first day of the holy month would fall on Sunday (March 2).

Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, while speaking to the media in Peshawar, said that the different zonal committees across the country were set up to receive testimonies for the moon sighting.

“No testimony was received for sighting of the moon from any place in the country,” he said, adding that after reaching a consensus, it was decided that the first day of the holy month will fall on Sunday.

In a separate announcement following the committee’s decision, the federal government also confirmed that the Ramazan moon was not sighted, according to a notification issued by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Ramazan 1 shall commence on Sunday (March 2), according to the notification, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com.

DawnNewsTV reported earlier today that the 24-member committee had assembled and that the weather in Peshawar was overcast, which lessened the possibility that the moon would be sighted.

Zonal Ruet-i-Hilal Committees in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore and other cities also gathered to sight the new moon, according to media reports.

The zonal committee in Quetta said that the moon had not been sighted anywhere in Balochistan, a Dawn.com correspondent reported, quoting zonal committee member Maulana Anwarul Haq Haqqani.

“There was heavy rain in the coastal areas of Balochistan,” Haqqani said, adding that the central committee was updated about the situation.

“The central Ruet-i-Hilal committee will announce the final decision,” he added.

Meanwhile, a Dawn.com correspondent present in Peshawar said that the zonal committee in Islamabad informed the central committee that the Ramazan moon had not been sighted in the capital.

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) had forecasted that the holy month of Ramazan would begin on March 2 (Sunday), while Eidul Fitr would be observed on the 31st of the month.

However, it emphasised that the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee would examine testimonies from across the country and formally announce the holy month’s official start since the unaided observation of the crescent moon with the naked eye was a religious obligation for determining the month’s beginning.

“According to precise astronomical models, the new moon (conjunction) for Ramazan will occur on February 28, 2025, at 05:45 PST. However, the visibility of the crescent depends on key factors such as the moon’s age, its angular separation from the sun, altitude at sunset, and atmospheric conditions,” Suparco said in a press release.

It added that the probability of the moon’s visibility on Feb 28 was “not visible even with optical aid”, and thus the likelihood of a moon sighting on the date in Pakistan is “extremely low”.

“Consequently, Sha’aban is expected to complete 30 days, and the first day of fasting will likely be observed on March 2.

However, the Pakistan Meteorological Department said on February 7 that the moon would not be sighted on February 28.

“According to astronomical parameters, there is no chance of sighting the new moon of Ramazan … on the evening of 28-02-2025,” the department said in a statement.

In Saudi Arabia, the new moon is also expected to be born on Feb 28. However, due to the moon’s position relative to the horizon and atmospheric clarity, the crescent is expected to be visible, leading to the commencement of Ramzan on March 1. In Pakistan, however, it will begin a day later.

“According to astronomical models, the Shawwal moon will be visible on March 30, indicating that Eidul Fitr will likely be observed on March 31 in Pakistan,” the press release said.

Saudi Arabia, Gulf neighbours to observe Ramazan on Saturday

Saudi Arabia and its Gulf neighbours announced on Friday that Ramazan would begin on Saturday.

The kingdom, home to Islam’s two holiest sites, was joined by the United Arab Emirates and Qatar in declaring the sighting of the Ramazan moon.

“The Supreme Court has decided that tomorrow, Saturday, is the first day of the month of [Ramazan],” the official Saudi Press Agency posted on X.

Iraq’s top Shia cleric, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, meanwhile, announced that the holy month would begin on Sunday.

Additional reporting by Nadir Guramani