ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s central moon sighting committee will meet today, Friday, to sight the crescent for the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, Pakistani state media reported.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, wherein Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise till sunset for a month.
This is followed by the sighting of the new moon and is marked by Eid Al-Fitr, a religious holiday and celebration that is observed by Muslims across the world.
“A meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will be held in Peshawar on Friday for the sighting of the Moon of Ramadan ul Mubarak,” the Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad will preside over the meeting, according to the report.
“The Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees will also meet separately at their respective headquarters,” it read.
Pakistan’s national space agency has forecast that the Ramadan moon will be invisible to the naked eye on Feb. 28, which means that the South Asian country will likely mark the beginning of the holy month from Mar. 2.
The crescent will be difficult to sight on Friday due to its low altitude and distance, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) was quoted as saying by the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) news agency. The angular distance between the sun and the moon will be 7 degrees on Feb. 28, making the crescent “invisible to the naked eye” that day, it added.
But in Pakistan, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is tasked with sighting the moon for new Islamic months. Dates for Ramadan and Eid festivals are confirmed by the committee through visual observations and based on testimonies received of the crescent being sighted from several parts of the country.
Pakistan moon sighting committee to meet today to sight Ramadan crescent
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Pakistan moon sighting committee to meet today to sight Ramadan crescent
- Fasting during Ramadan is one of the five pillars of Islam, wherein Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise till sunset
- This is followed by the sighting of the new moon and is marked by Eid Al-Fitr, a religious holiday observed by Muslims worldwide
UAE President to make first official Pakistan visit today with Islamabad set for arrival
- Foreign office says talks will cover investment, energy cooperation and regional stability
- UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner and a key source of long-term investment
ISLAMABAD: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan today, Friday, for his first official visit since assuming office, with Islamabad adorned with Pakistani and Emirati flags to mark the occasion.
The visit, taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, is aimed at reviewing bilateral ties and exploring ways to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, energy and development, according to Pakistan’s foreign office.
Ahead of the visit, Islamabad has been decked out with large billboards carrying images of the visiting UAE president alongside President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Sharif.
Rehearsals were also held a day earlier along roads leading to Constitution Avenue, the seat of the government, where groups dressed in traditional attire lined both sides of the route to welcome the visiting delegation.
“During the visit, His Highness will hold a meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan, where the two leaders will review the entire spectrum of bilateral relations and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest,” the foreign office said in a statement announcing the UAE president’s planned arrival earlier this week.
“The visit will provide an important opportunity to further strengthen the longstanding brotherly relations between Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates,” it added.
The Islamabad administration has declared a public holiday in the capital, while the traffic police have rolled out an extensive plan to manage vehicular movement during the visit.
According to the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan, heavy traffic entering the city has been barred from 6 a.m. to 12:30 a.m., with several main arteries closed and alternative routes designated.
Pakistan considers the UAE one of its closest regional and economic partners. The Gulf state is Islamabad’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States and remains a major source of foreign investment.
Over the past two decades, Emirati investment in Pakistan has exceeded $10 billion, according to the UAE’s foreign ministry.
Policymakers in Pakistan also consider the UAE an optimal export destination due to its geographical proximity, which minimizes transportation and freight costs while facilitating commercial transactions.
