Central Ruet-e-Hilal committee will meet on Thursday, June 14, to sight Shawwal moon
Islamabad (Pakistan Point News – 12th June, 2018) The moon will not be visible on the evening of Thursday, June 14, so Eid-ul-Fitr is likely to be observed on Saturday, June 16.
According to the statement issued by Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council Secretary General Khalid Ejaz Mufti, new moon cannot be sighted until and unless its age is a minimum of 19 hours at the time of sunset (at the place of observation), the difference between sunset and moonset (lag time) is a minimum of 40 minutes, the angle of moon’s separation from the earth’s surface (altitude) is minimum of six degrees, and the angle of the moon’s separation from the sun (elongation) is a minimum of 10 degrees.
The new moon will ‘begin’ at 00:43 PST on Thursday. The age of the new moon at the time of sunset on Thursday evening will be less than 19 hours, so Eid will be celebrated on Saturday after the completion of 30 days for the month of Ramzan.
Although the month of Ramzan started on the same day in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, it is expected that Saudi Arabia will celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday, he said.
Earlier, the Met office predicted that scientifically, Shawwal moon is less likely to be sighted on 29 Ramadan.
The central Ruet-e-Hilal committee will meet on Thursday, June 14, to sight Shawwal moon.
The meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee for sighting the crescent of Shawwal 1439 AH will be held at Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi.
Some other members of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will hold the meetings at their respective provincial and district Ruet-e-Hilal Committees.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee led by its chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman will gather the information from all across Pakistan and will announce the decision about the sighting of the Eid-ul-Fitr moon or otherwise.
