Sighting Shawwal crescent today is impossible, says Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Wednesday that the sighting of the moon for Shawwal month today is impossible, ARY News reported.

He said that the Shawwal crescent could not be sighted today as the age of the moon in Pakistan is 13 hours and 42 minutes at this time. While criticising those stirring controversy over moon sighting, Chaudhry said that the people have an option who wanted to celebrate Eidul Fitr with Saudi Arabia.

He censured how the people would justify themselves by concluding the holy month Ramazan after telling lies to the people. He said that they should openly publicise their opinion about their willingness to celebrate Eidul Fitr with Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia.

اس وقت چاند کی عمر پاکستان میں 13 گھنٹے 42 منٹ ہے لہذا چاند کا آج نظر آنا ممکن ہی نہیں جن حضرات نے عید سعودیہ کے ساتھ منانی ہے یہ ان کی آپشن ہے لیکن جھوٹ بول کر ماہ مقدس کا اختتام کرنا کہاں کی عقلمندی ہو گی، سیدھا کہیں کہ ہمیں عید افغانستان یا سعودیہ کے مطابق منانی ہے۔۔

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 12, 2021

Muslims celebrate the Eidul Fitr festival across the globe after sighting the crescent of Shawwal.

A meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is underway under the chair of Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad in Islamabad to sight the moon for the month of Shawwal.

The zonal committees of Karachi, Lahore and Quetta concluded their meetings after they could not sight the Shawwal moon.

It may be noted here that Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Qatar will be celebrating Eid ul Fitr tomorrow (Thursday).

On Tuesday, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted that the chances of sighting the new moon of Shawwal 1442 AH on the evening of May 12 i.e. 29th of Ramazan (Wednesday) are slim.

Eid-ul-Fitr (1st Shawwal) will most likely fall on Friday. The new moon of Shawwal, 1442 AH will born on crossing conjunction point at 00-01 PST on May, 12, (Wednesday), the weather department said in a statement.

According to astronomical parameters, there is ‘no chance’ of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1442 AH on the evening of Wednesday 12 May i.e. 29th of Ramazan, 1442 AH, the met office said.