ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and several other nations will celebrate Eidul Fitr tomorrow (Saturday) after the Shawwal moon was not sighted in the country, on Thursday night.
While many Middle-Eastern nations, such as Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Kuwait will observe Eidul Fitr today (Friday), India, Bangladesh, Indonesia are also expected to celebrate Eid on Saturday, alongside Pakistan.
The Taliban government in Afghanistan, however, announced the first day of Eidul Fitr on Thursday.
In Iran, which is currently under US-Israeli bombardment, Eidul Fitr will coincide with the Persian new year celebration of Nauroz, as both are set to fall on Saturday.
Nauroz marks the Spring equinox, when the earth tilts on its axis into spring.
In Pakistan, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman Dr Abdul Khabir Azad announced on Thursday night that the Shawwal moon had not been sighted anywhere in the country, and that Eidul Fitr would fall on Saturday.
Addressing a press conference at the Pakistan Secretariat, he said weather conditions remained cloudy in most parts of Pakistan, hindering visibility for moon sighting.
The committee also received reports from across the country, but confirmed that no credible sighting of the crescent was recorded.
The current moon-sighting system is based on a resolution passed by the National Assembly on January 23, 1974; however, there was no proper mechanism to support the establishment of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.
To address this, the Pakistan Ruet-i-Hilal Act, 2023 was passed by Parliament.
The law was drafted by the Ministry of Religious Affairs in consultation with provincial governments to regulate the moon-sighting process for Islamic months and to promote unity among different schools of thought.
Before the enactment of this law, some clerics — most notably Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of Peshawar’s Masjid Qasim Ali Khan — used to conduct separate moon-sighting meetings and accept testimonies from individuals claiming to have sighted the moon.
As a result, the country often witnessed Eidul Fitr being celebrated on different days in various regions.
Under the new law, only the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is authorised to announce the moon sighting and the beginning of a new Hijri month. Any private announcement by individuals or groups has been declared illegal, helping to streamline the moon-sighting and announcement process nationwide.
Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2026