PESHAWAR: The Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, has officially announced the sighting of the Ramadan crescent. This confirms that the first fast of Ramadan will begin tomorrow across Pakistan.
The announcement follows verification of multiple eyewitness reports received from different districts, including Peshawar, Upper Dir, and Mohmand, with a total of 40 testimonies submitted to the committee. SUPARCO had confirmed that the moon was born on 17 February 2026 at 5:01 pm, and at sunset today its age was 25 hours and 48 minutes, making it visible to the naked eye in clear skies.
The meeting in Peshawar is being chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, with members of the central and zonal committees participating.
Also present are DG Ministry of Religious Affairs Hafiz Abdul Quddus, SUPARCO representative Shaukatullah, Meteorological Department representative Dr. Hassan Ali Baig, and Zain-ul-Abideen from the Ministry of Science & Technology.
Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad,appealed to the public to look for the Ramadan crescent and report sightings to the committee, expressing hope that, God willing, the holy month will begin simultaneously across the country.
The crescent moon for Ramadan has been sighted across Pakistan, with zonal committee meetings held in Peshawar, Islamabad, and other provincial capitals to verify the sightings. This confirms that the first fast of Ramadan will begin tomorrow, 19 February 2026.
According to Mufti Atiqullah, a member of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the first five testimonies of the crescent sighting were received from Upper Dir, while six additional reports came from District Mohmand to the Peshawar zonal committee. In total, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has received 40 verified testimonies of the moon sighting.
Prior to the announcement, Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad appealed to the public to observe the crescent and report sightings, expressing hope that, God willing, Ramadan would begin simultaneously across the country.
Meanwhile, the Ramadan crescent has also been sighted in Bangladesh and India, where the first fast will similarly commence tomorrow, 19 February 2026.
