Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet tomorrow for Zilhajj Moon sighting

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is set to meet tomorrow (Sunday) to sight the moon of Zilhajj, a move that will officially determine the date of Eidul Adha 2026 in the country, 24NewsHD TV reported on Saturday.

According to the Ministry of Religious Affairs's notification, the meeting will take place at the Pakistan Meteorological Department in Karachi under the chairmanship of Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad.

Officials said zonal and district Ruet-e-Hilal committees will also hold meetings simultaneously at their respective headquarters across the country to collect moon sighting testimonies.

The final announcement regarding the sighting of the Zilhajj moon and the date of Eid ul Adha will be made by the committee chairman after reviewing reports from different regions.

Earlier, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) issued an astronomical forecast suggesting that the Zilhajj moon is likely to be born on May 17, increasing the possibility that Eid ul Adha could be observed on May 27, 2026.

SUPARCO said its calculations indicate that the new Islamic month may begin shortly after the moon’s birth, although the official confirmation will depend on physical moon sighting reports received by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

The forecast has raised expectations that Pakistan may celebrate Eid ul Adha in the last week of May, subject to the committee’s final decision.

Normally, Eid holidays in Pakistan begin a day before the festival to allow people enough time to travel to their hometowns.

If the government follows the usual pattern, the Eid ul Adha 2026 holidays are expected to start on May 26 (Tuesday) and continue until May 29 (Friday).