PESHAWAR : The holy month of Ramadan is set to begin tomorrow, with several countries across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe officially announcing that Wednesday will be the first day of fasting.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Afghanistan, and the United Kingdom have all confirmed the sighting of the crescent moon, marking the start of the blessed month. This follows similar announcements in several other nations, including Indonesia, as reported earlier.
Meanwhile, in Pakistan, a unique situation is unfolding as a meeting of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has been convened in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province tomorrow. While the central committee’s decision typically unifies the start date across the country, several tribal areas have already announced the beginning of Ramadan, choosing to follow the Saudi Arabian sighting.
According to private TV, the first day of fasting has been declared in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for today. This announcement has also been mirrored in various areas of Waziristan and Charsadda.
This tradition of aligning with the Saudi moon sighting is not new. In the past, specific regions within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have observed this practice, maintaining religious unity with the holy sites. This year, continuing that long-standing tradition, multiple areas in Bajaur have declared the start of Ramadan on February 18.
A formal meeting of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to take place in Peshawar tomorrow. The session, chaired by the Chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, will review moon sighting evidence. Following the deliberations, a final, official announcement regarding the commencement of Ramadan for the rest of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of Pakistan is expected.
