The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Friday announced that Eidul Adha in Pakistan will be celebrated on June 17 after the moon for the month of Zil Hajj was sighted.
The central committee met in Karachi on Friday, with Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad in the chair. Central and zonal committee members and representatives of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), the Meteorological Department (PMD), and the Religious Affairs Ministry attended the meeting.
Sub-committee meetings were convened in provincial capitals, including Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.
The central committee received testimonies from various parts of the country about the moon's sighting for the 12th and final month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The zonal committees in Peshawar and Quetta were the first to spot the moon.
Eidul Adha falls on the 10th of Zil Hajj. It marks the third day of the five-day annual Hajj pilgrimage. Muslims in Pakistan who celebrate the event will likely participate in the ritual sacrifice to repeat the actions of Abraham (AS) and his willingness to obey God’s command, even when it meant sacrificing his beloved son, Ismail (AS).
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states had spotted the moon a day earlier and observed the first day of Zil Hajj on Friday. They will be celebrating Eidul Adha on June 16.