Shaban moon not sighted in Pakistan, announces religious affairs ministry

ISLAMABAD: Ministry for Religious Affairs on Sunday announced that the Shaban moon was not sighted in the country today and the first day of the month would be marked on Tuesday.

“First Shaban will be on March 16 (Tuesday),” said the ministry as the Ruet-e-Hilal committee meeting in connection with the sighting of the moon of Shaban, 1442 AH met under the chair of Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad.

According to details, the Shab-e-Barat would be observed on March 29.

Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) earlier stated that there is a good chance of sighting the new moon of Shaban 1442 AH on the evening of March 14 i.e. 29th of Rajab.

The weather department in its statement said that Shaban, 1442 AH moon born on crossing conjunction point at 15-22 Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on 13 March 2021.

The met office said that the Shaban crescent will most likely be sighted on the evening of Sunday, March 14. The climate record further highlighted that the weather would remain fair or partly cloudy in most parts of the country in the evening.

Shaban moon sighting in Saudi Arabia 

Saudi Arabia has announced that the moon for the month of Shaban was not sighted in the kingdom and Sunday would be the last day of Rajab.

According to local media reports, the month of Shaban will begin from Monday as the moon could not be sighted owing to heavy dust and the sandstorm which is sweeping the Kingdom.

Shaban is the last lunar month before Ramadan, and so Muslims determine in it when the first day of Ramadan fasting will be. Based on the last day of Shaban, Ramadan might start on April 13, subject to moon-sighting.