ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on Saturday after the Shawwal moon was not sighted anywhere in the country, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the country’s official moon-sighting body, said on Thursday.
The announcement means the holy month of Ramadan will complete 30 days this year, with Eid marking its end to be observed across Pakistan on March 21.
“In most parts of Pakistan, the sky remained cloudy, while in some areas it was clear,” Maulana Abdul Kabir Azad, the committee chairman, said in a news conference. “No verified sighting of the Shawwal moon was received from anywhere in Pakistan.”
“Therefore, it has been unanimously decided that the 1st of Shawwal 1447 Hijri will fall on Saturday, March 21, 2026, God willing,” he added.
The government later issued a notification confirming the decision, saying the Shawwal moon had not been sighted and that Eid would be observed nationwide on Saturday.
Eid Al-Fitr, one of the most important Islamic festivals, marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan and is celebrated with prayers, family gatherings and charity.
