Ramadan 2023: Moon sighted in Pakistan, first roza on Thursday

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced on Wednesday that it did receive reports related to the sighting of the moon of Ramadan 1444 AH today, meaning that the first day of Ramadan in Pakistan will fall on Thursday (tomorrow).

The announcement was made by Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Maulana Abdul Kabir Azad, hours after the body kickstarted its session, from Peshawar where he was chairing the meeting to sight the moon.

The central body was holding its meeting at the Auqaf Department building in Peshawar while the zonal and district Ruet-e-Hilal committees are also meeting at their respective offices across the country.

Saudi Arabia and most other Gulf states will also start the fasting month on Thursday (tomorrow).

However, the Ramadan moon was not sighted in India and Bangladesh.

Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) said that there were chances of the crescent moon being sighted today, but the weather is cloudy.

The moon can be sighted at around 7:28pm today in Karachi, the PMD officials had said during the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee's Zonal meeting in Karachi.

Earlier, an official of the Ministry of Religious Affairs told The News along with holding meetings of the committee in all provinces in rotation, the purpose for holding the meeting this time in Peshawar was also to create consensus on the sighting of the crescent of Ramadan on the same day.

He said that along with receiving calls for evidence, the committee would also invite people from the private Ruet committees to record their statements. The committee would also cross-question people recording their evidence to ascertain the same.