Saudi Arabia:Moon not sighted, first Ramadan on April 13

The committee said that the crescent moon wasn't sighted on Sunday evening and the decision was made accordingly.

Monday, April 12, will be the last and 30th day of Shaban 1442 Hijri, the moon sighting committee announced.

On the other hand, a meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan will be held on April 13 to sight the moon.

In this regard, the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had predicted in separate tweets in early April that the first fast in Pakistan this year would be on April 14.

The moon of Ramzam , 1442 AH will be sighted on the evening of April 13, 2021, and the first Ramzan will be on the 14th April, 2021 ( InshaAllah). The moon will be clearly sighted in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi.

— Ministry of Science & Technology (@MinistryofST) April 3, 2021

The Ramadan moon will be clearly visible in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi, the statement said.

رمضان کا چاند 13 اپریل کی شام کو لاہور،اسلام آباد،پشاور سمیت کئ دیگر شہروں میں واضع طور پر دیکھا جاسکے گا اور چودہ اپریل کو پہلا روزہ ہو گا۔ خدا یہ رمضان سب کیلئے رحمت اور برکت کا باعث کرے آمین https://t.co/d0DXRoRQaw

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 3, 2021

It should be noted that the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan has the authority to announce the sighting of the moon at the official level.

On the other hand, the newly elected Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan chairman had expressed anger over Fawad Chaudhry's tweet.

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said that the country's image had been damaged due to several announcements regarding moon sighting in the past.

Maulana said that it would not be a matter of disobedience to Sharia but having different dates of Ramadan and Eid in the country harms national pride.

He said the state has empowered the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan to make a final announcement about the new moon for the start of the Islamic month.

Maulana Abdul Khabir said that Fawad Chaudhry should have waited for the meeting of the committee as a senior official of the Ministry of Science is a member of the committee.

"We are holding the next meeting in Peshawar on April 13 to observe the month of Ramadan and Mufti Popalzai has been requested to attend or send one of his representatives to decide by consensus," the chairman said.

Maulana Abdul Khabir, head of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Pakistan said that for the first time, the Central Committee had formed Ruet-e-Hilal Committees at the district level to ensure that eyewitnesses were inspected.