On February 18, the Ramazan moon is expected to be visible: PMD

Since the crescent moon is predicted to be visible on the evening of Wednesday, February 18, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicts that the holy month of Ramadan will likely start on February 19.

On February 18, which is the 29th of Shaban, there is a good chance of seeing the Ramazan 1447 AH moon, according to astronomical estimates made by the PMD’s Climate Data Processing Centre.

The new moon will be born at 5:01 p.m. on February 17, according to officials. On February 18, the weather is expected to stay clear or partly overcast over the majority of the country, enhancing the chance of visibility.

A final moon sighting time of 6:58 p.m. in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, 7:47 p.m. in Balochistan, 7:24 p.m. in Sindh, 7:13 p.m. in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 7:08 p.m. in Punjab, and 6:53 p.m. in Gilgit-Baltistan was also shared by the department.

According to earlier predictions, Ramadan will start on February 19 and Eidul Fitr would probably be celebrated on March 21. Khalid Ijaz Mufti, the secretary general of the Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council, had previously stated that astronomical evidence points to the possibility of seeing the crescent on February 18.

He emphasised, however, that these forecasts are not definitive because the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee alone has the authority to declare the beginning of Islamic months after verifying reports of moon sightings.