PESHAWAR: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting to sight the crescent moon of Ramadan has commenced in Peshawar.
The session is being chaired by Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, with members of the central and zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees in attendance.
The meeting is also being attended by Director General of the Ministry of Religious Affairs Hafiz Abdul Quddus, representative of SUPARCO Shaukatullah, Pakistan Meteorological Department representative Dr. Hassan Ali Baig, and Zain-ul-Abideen from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Addressing the gathering, Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad appealed to the public to actively look for the Ramadan crescent and report any verified sightings to the committee.
He expressed optimism that, God willing, the holy month of Ramadan will begin simultaneously across the country this year as well.
According to a spokesperson for SUPARCO, the new moon was born on February 17, 2026, at 5:01 pm. At sunset today, the moon’s age will be approximately 25 hours and 48 minutes, making visibility with the naked eye possible. However, the final announcement regarding moon sighting will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department stated that the moon will rise at 5:54 pm and remain visible until 6:52 pm. Cloudy conditions in Lahore and surrounding areas may reduce visibility chances, while clear skies in Peshawar could improve the likelihood of sighting the crescent.
