Eid ul Fitr 2026 is likely to fall on March 21 in Pakistan after a 30-day Ramadan, with experts saying the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 are low.
“The new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH is expected to be born on March 19, 2026, at 06:23 PST,” the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Wednesday.
“At the time of sunset on March 19, 2026, the age of the new moon will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated 28-minute interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan’s coastal belt,” it added.
Based on these astronomical parameters, the Suparco said, the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 were “low”.
The first Shawwal is therefore anticipated to fall on Saturday, March 21, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Ramadan.
However, Suparco said the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan will make the final decision regarding the sighting of the crescent and the commencement of Eid ul Fitr across the country.
The Muslim world welcomes Eid ul Fitr with deep religious devotion, after over a billion believers fast for a month to practice patience, self-discipline, and generosity.
Pakistan began the first fast of Ramadan 2026 on February 19, following the announcement of the crescent moon sighting by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their start and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.
As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar — which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis — Ramadan shifts annually across the Gregorian calendar.
