The committee convened on a rooftop in Islamabad’s Kohsar Block, where the religious affairs ministry is located.

During a press conference, RHC Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad stated, “No testimony of sighting the moon of the month of Zilhaj was received from any part of Pakistan […]. Therefore, it was decided with consensus that Zilhaj 1, 1446AH would be on May 29, Thursday and Eidul Azha would be observed on June 7, Saturday.” He noted that cloudy weather hindered visibility in many regions, while some areas experienced clearer skies.

Also read: A Libyan’s miraculous Hajj journey: Plane had to return to the airport twice from midair

The meeting, presided over by Maulana Azad, included officials and experts from various departments, all gathered to witness the moon sighting. Simultaneous zonal meetings were held at RHC headquarters in provincial capitals to collect testimonies.

Notable attendees included Dr Mohammad Hasan Ali from the Institute of Meteorology and Geophysics, Shaukatullah Khan from the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), and Zainul Abedin from the science and tech ministry. Earlier predictions from Suparco indicated that Eidul Azha would likely be celebrated on June 7, despite the new moon for Zilhaj 1446 AH occurring on May 27. The chances of sighting the moon were deemed extremely low due to cloudy conditions in the federal capital.

Eidul Azha, celebrated on the 10th of Zilhaj, signifies the conclusion of Haj, one of the five pillars of Islam.