ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to grant four public holidays for Eid-ul-Fitr this year.
According to official reports, the holidays will fall on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
This year, Ramadan is expected to last 30 days, and the first day of Shawwal, marking Eid, is likely to fall on Saturday, March 21, though the exact date will be officially confirmed by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Deputy Director of the Meteorological Department, Anjum Nazir, explained that the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will hold a meeting in Islamabad on March 19 to observe the moon. However, he noted that sighting the Eid moon on that day is practically impossible.
According to Pakistani time, the moon will be born at 6:23 AM on March 19, making it only 12 hours old at sunset. Since a moon must be at least 14 hours old to be visible even with a telescope, it is scientifically impossible to sight it with the naked eye.
Anjum Nazir further confirmed that this year Ramadan is likely to complete 30 days, and Eid-ul-Fitr may be observed on March 21, pending the official announcement by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
