KARACHI: The Ruet-i-Hilal Committee announced on Sunday that the Zilhaj moon had been sighted and the nation would celebrate Eidul Azha on May 27.

The announcement came after the committee met in Karachi for the moon sighting, while meetings of zonal committees were also convened in Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta and Peshawar.

Addressing a press conference after the meetings, Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairperson Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad said skies were mostly clear in the country, except in some areas.

As a result, moon sighting testimonies were received from Karachi and other cities of Sindh, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and some other areas.

“Hence, it has been unanimously decided that first Zilhaj 1447 AH will be on May 18 [Monday] while Eidul Azha will fall on May 27 [Wednesday],” he said.

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) had also forecast that Eidul Azha was expected to fall on May 27 as the “new moon of Zilhajj 1447 AH is expected to be born on May 17 at 1:01am”.

Motorway ban

Meanwhile, the National Highway and Motorway Police (NHMP) has imposed a ban on the entry of vehicles loaded with sacrificial animals on motorways, according to a statement released on Sunday.

“Overloaded, unfit, and improperly loaded vehicles often lead to traffic congestion and serious road accidents,” the statement said. It added that such vehicles would be diverted to alternative routes.

The NHMP further stated that several vehicles transporting animals had been involved in “serious accidents” in the past, resulting in significant loss of life and property.

“Punjab and Khyber Pakhtun­khwa police have also been requested to establish check posts near motorway entry points and cattle markets to ensure the effective implementation of these measures,” it said.

The statement concluded that the initiative had been taken to “ensure the safety, security, and convenience of commuters travelling on motorways during the Eidul Azha season”.

Syed Irfan Raza in Islamabad also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, May 18th, 2026