Govt announces Eid holidays as Met Office forecasts 30 days of fasting

The federal government has decided to announce four public holidays on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr this year.

According to the announcement, the holidays will be observed from 20 to 23 March, covering Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Reports suggest that there is a strong possibility that the holy month of Ramadan will complete the full 30 days this year. As a result, the first day of Shawwal, marking Eid-ul-Fitr, is expected to fall on Saturday, 21 March.

However, the final and official announcement regarding the Eid date will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee after sighting the moon.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Meteorological Department has shared its assessment regarding the moon sighting. According to Deputy Director of the Department Anjum Nazir, a meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will be held in Islamabad on 19 March to find evidence of the Shawwal moon.

He explained that the moon will be born on 19 March at 6:23 am (Pakistan Standard Time) and by sunset its age will be approximately 12 hours. According to Nazir, a moon that is only 12 hours old cannot be seen with the naked eye.

He noted that even with the help of a telescope, a moon must be at least 14 hours old to become visible. Therefore, the chances of sighting the moon on 19 March are extremely low.

Based on the Meteorological Department’s prediction, there is a strong likelihood that Ramadan will complete 30 days, with 1 Shawwal expected to fall on 21 March. Nevertheless, the final decision will be formally announced by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee after its meeting.