PESHAWAR: Northwestern areas of Pakistan will start observing Ramadan along with Saudi Arabia, despite the Pakistani government’s decision to commence fasting on Saturday.
Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court announced on Thursday that Ramadan this year will start on Friday.
“After evaluating moon-sighting witnesses, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has announced first Ramadan will be observed tomorrow (Friday). God willing, tomorrow will be the first Ramadan. I congratulate you all on this sacred month,” Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan’s moon-sighting committee in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, announced on Thursday evening.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the body which announces the sighting of the new moon, decided that Ramadan in the country would begin on Saturday. After the committee’s meeting on Thursday, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a circular enforcing the decision.
It is a long-held tradition in Pakistan’s northwestern areas to follow Saudi Arabia with regard to the timing of fasting and Eid celebrations.
“People mostly follow Saudi Arabia to start Ramadan or observe Eid because the kingdom is known as the citadel of Islam,” Atif Wazir, a university student from North Waziristan, told Arab News.
He said people have already bought and prepared foods for suhoor, the predawn meal, and iftar, or fast-breaking meal, that is eaten every night after sunset.
Muhammad Hassan, a tribal elder from South Waziristan, said that villagers in the district were preparing to offer Tarawih prayers on Thursday.
Khan Muhammad, an Afghan refugee in Kohat district, told Arab News that other refugee families living on the outskirts of Peshawar in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province were also starting to observe their fast tomorrow.
“Our people will fast from Friday. We normally follow the Kingdom to start fasting because we have always had controversies over moon-sighting in Pakistan,” he said.
Muslims around the world use a lunar calendar to determine the dates of religious events and observances. As a result, Ramadan dates vary in different countries, usually by a day or two.
Pakistan’s northwestern areas start Ramadan with Saudi Arabia
https://arab.news/9ty3x
Pakistan’s northwestern areas start Ramadan with Saudi Arabia
- Saudi Arabia’s Supreme Court announced that Ramadan this year will start on Friday
- It is a long-held tradition in Pakistan’s tribal districts to follow Saudi Arabia’s Ramadan and Eid timings
Pakistan urges pilgrims to complete Saudi biometrics as Hajj preparations gain pace
- Government warns pilgrims biometric verification is required for Hajj visas
- Step follows tighter oversight after last year’s Hajj travel disruptions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government on Friday urged aspiring pilgrims to complete mandatory Saudi biometric verification for Hajj visas, as preparations for the 2026 pilgrimage gather pace following stricter oversight of the Hajj process.
The announcement comes only a day after Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said regulations for private Hajj operators had been tightened, reducing their quota following widespread complaints last year, when tens of thousands of pilgrims were unable to travel under the private Hajj scheme.
“Saudi biometric verification is mandatory for the issuance of Hajj visas,” the Ministry of Religious Affairs said in a statement, urging pilgrims to complete the process promptly to avoid delays.
“Hajj pilgrims should complete their biometric verification at home using the ‘Saudi Visa Bio’ app as soon as possible,” it added.
The statement said the pilgrims who were unable to complete biometric verification through the mobile application should visit designated Saudi Tasheer centers before Feb. 8, adding that details of the centers were available on Pakistan’s official Hajj mobile application.
Pakistan has been steadily implementing digital and procedural requirements for pilgrims ahead of Hajj 2026, including mandatory training sessions, biometric checks and greater use of mobile applications, as part of efforts to reduce mismanagement.
Saudi Arabia has allocated Pakistan a quota of 179,210 pilgrims for Hajj 2026, with the majority of seats reserved under the government scheme and the remainder allocated to private tour operators.
