Ramadan moon: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet for sighting crescent on March 11

• Reut-e-Hilal Committee to meet with Maulana Azad in chair. 
• Zonal committees' meetings to convene in their respective domains.
• Saudi Arabia, UAE call on citizens to sight moon on March 10. 

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to meet in Peshawar for the sighting of Ramadan moon on the evening of March 11 (Monday). If the crescent is sighted, the holy month will begin on March 12 (Tuesday).

The committee’s chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, will preside over the meeting, which will commence after the Asr prayers. Meanwhile, different zonal committee’s meetings would also convene in their respective domains — to receive and assess moon sighting reports.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have called on their citizens to look for the Ramadan moon on the evening of March 10, which signifies that the Arab countries will likely have the first Roza a day ahead of Pakistan, which is the usual case. 

Weather expert Jawad Memon told Geo.tv earlier that though the moon for the month of Ramadan will be born on March 10, it will not be visible at the time and can only be seen via the naked eye by March 11.

"First taraweeh will be observed on the night of March 11 [whereas] its 95% probable that the first fast will be on March 12," Memon said.

The holy month, which is observed with religious fervour and zeal, will see millions of Pakistanis along with billions of Muslims around the world observing fast from dawn till sunset with the fasting hours falling between 12 to 17 hours — depending on the geographical locations across the globe.

Like many other countries, Ramadan, in Pakistan, is marked by increased charity and public food drives with the people establishing roadside stalls for people returning to their homes in the evening.

The month, usually, also witnesses increased business activities due to religious festivities as well as shopping trends in the run-up to Eid ul Fitr.