Shawwal moon not has not been sighted; Eid al-Fitr will be celebrated in Pakistan on Saturday

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced just now that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated across Pakistan on Saturday, March 21, after the Shawwal moon was not sighted anywhere in the country.
The chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, announced at a press conference that no credible reports of moon sighting had been received from any part of Pakistan.
“From across the country, we have not received any evidence of Moon sighting”, Maulana Azad stated, adding that Friday would mark the 30th and final day of Ramadan 2026 hence Jummat Ul Wida will be celebrated tomorrow.
The traditional meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee had earlier been organized in Islamabad to see the crescent, while zonal and district committees simultaneously held sessions at their respective head offices, including in Karachi and Lahore. However, no confirmed sightings were conveyed from any of these locations.
Astronomical data had already suggested a low likelihood of sighting the moon on March 19. According to Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH was born at 6:23 PST on March 19. At sunset, the moon’s age was around 12 hours and 41 minutes, with a visibility window of around 28 minutes—conditions deemed unfavorable for observation.
Based on these factors, experts had anticipated that Pakistan would complete 30 days of Ramadan and Eid shall be observed on March 21, 2026 Saturday.
Regionally, the moon was also not sighted yesterday in several Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, where Eid-ul-Fitr will now be observed on Friday. In contrast however, Afghanistan has already begun Eid celebrations.
Pakistan started observing the holy month of Ramadan on February 19 this year. As per the Islamic lunar calendar, months last either 29 or 30 days depending on the sighting of the crescent moon, causing Islamic dates to shift approximately 10 days earlier each year in the Gregorian calendar.
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan and is celebrated by Muslims all over the world with prayers, charity (Fitra and Zakat) , and festivities, representing gratitude, unity, and sacred renewal.