The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has predicted that the Shawwal moon is unlikely to be sighted on March 19; hence, Eid ul Fitr is expected to fall on March 21 across the country.
According to the Met Office, there is a strong likelihood that the Shawwal crescent will be visible on March 20.
This would make March 21 (Saturday) the probable date for Eid ul Fitr, subject to confirmation by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC).
If the moon is not sighted on March 19 as forecast, Ramadan fasting in Pakistan is likely to last 30 days this year.
The latest forecast follows PMD’s earlier accurate prediction regarding the Ramadan moon sighting.
Prior to the start of Ramadan, the department had forecast chances of crescent visibility in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), including Peshawar, citing clear skies in the plains of the province while partly cloudy conditions were expected in upper areas.
The Ramadan moon was eventually sighted on the 29th of Shaban (February 18), and Pakistan observed the first fast on February 19 after the announcement by the central moon sighting committee.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.
As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar — which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis — Ramadan shifts annually across the Gregorian calendar.
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