Eidul Azha date nears, moon-sighting committee to sit tomorrow

Pakistan is all prepared to decide the start of Islamic month of Zilhaj as the country’s central moon-sighting council is to meet on Saturday, which will also pave the way for the official declaration of this year’s Eidul Azha date.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will convene tomorrow – 29 Ziqadah – to consider allegations of moon-sighting from across the country. Once the crescent is observed and authenticated, the authorities will declare the commencement of Zilhaj and Eidul Azha.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs spokeswoman said a session will be held at the Pakistan Meteorological Department office in Karachi. The conference will be headed by Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad, who is the head of the country’s central moon-sighting committee.

Zonal and district Ruet-e-Hilal committees would convene on the same evening at their respective headquarters to decide the sighting of the moon for central gathering. These regional committees will analyze local moon-sighting testimonies and send findings for final verification.

After the evaluation process, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad will finally announce the moon sighting and the commencement of Zilhaj.

Meanwhile, Pakistan’s space agency has already made an early prognosis that has caught public attention before the conference. The Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission popularly known as SUPARCO has forecasted a strong likelihood of sighting the Zilhaj crescent tomorrow.

If the prognosis is true and the moon is sighted as expected, Eidul Azha in Pakistan will likely be on May 27, marking the beginning of one of the country’s biggest Islamic events. The ultimate judgment will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee after examining reports from all throughout the country.