The Ramazan moon has been sighted in Pakistan, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad announced on Monday.

The first of the ninth Islamic month will fall tomorrow (March 12, 2024), Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said after the meeting of the central and zonal Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committees.

Addressing a press conference, he said testimonies were received about the moon’s sighting from most parts of the country, including Peshawar, Lahore, Swat, Sargodha and other places.

Thus, it was decided through consensus that Ramazan would begin on March 12, he said and greeted the people on the arrival of the holy month.

The holy month has already begun in several parts of the world, including the Middle East and Europe.

Several other countries, including European states, have already announced the beginning of Ramazan. 

The Ramazan moon was sighted in Saudi Arabia and UAE yesterday.

Ramazan is determined by the Islamic lunar calendar, which begins with the sighting of the crescent moon.

Saudi Arabia and other Muslim-majority countries rely on the testimonies of moon sighters to determine the start of the month.

For the moon to be visible, the crescent must set after the sun. This allows the sky to be dark enough to spot the small slither of the new moon.