PESHAWAR – The moon for Ramadan has been sighted, and the first fast will be observed tomorrow (Feb 19).
Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, announced that the Ramadan moon has been sighted in various parts of Pakistan, confirming that Thursday, February 19, 2026, will mark the first day of Ramadan 1447 Hijri.
The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting was held in Peshawar, chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad.
The meeting was attended by DG Ministry of Religious Affairs Hafiz Abdul Qadoos, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) representative Shaukat Ullah, Meteorological Department representative Dr. Hassan Ali Baig, and Zain-ul-Abideen from the Ministry of Science and Technology.
In addition to Peshawar, zonal committee meetings were also held in the federal capital Islamabad and other provincial capitals.
According to Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee member Mufti Ateeq-ur-Rehman, the first five moon-sighting testimonies were received from Upper Dir, while six testimonies were received from Mohmand district by the zonal committee in Peshawar.
Mufti Ateeq-ur-Rehman said that a total of 40 moon-sighting testimonies have been received by the central committee so far.
Before the meeting, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad appealed to the public to sight the Ramadan moon, saying that, God willing, Ramadan will begin simultaneously across the country this year.
Meanwhile, the Ramadan moon has also been sighted in Bangladesh and India, where the first fast will also be observed tomorrow, February 19.
