Today on April 2023 multiple Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meetings took place all over Pakistan. In addition to the Central Ruet-e-Hilal committee meeting, the zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees also met in their provincial capitals, which include Lahore, Karachi, Quetta and Peshawar.
First all Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees conveyed their decisions and finding about the sightings of moon than later on final decision on Eid day for 2023 came from Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. All the zonal / provincial Ruet-e-Hilal committees reported that the moon was not sighted anywhere in their respected areas. Than later on based on that evidence and its own findings, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced that Eid ul Fitr moon was not sighted anywhere in the country on April 20, 2023, so in Pakistan Eid ul Fitr will take place on Saturday, April 22, 2023 instead of Friday.
The final decision about the moon sighting was announced by the chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad in a press conference after the meeting of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee concluded in Islamabad.
Earlier, Pakistan Meteorological Department, commonly referred as Pakistan Met Department (PMD) had also previously announced that scientifically there is no chance of moon sighting anywhere in Pakistan on April 20, 2023.
Pakistan Met Department had actually tweeted about no chance of moon sighting in Pakistan on April 20 at about 5 PM, the tweet contained following main text.
CO-ORDINATES & CHANCE FOR SIGHTING OF THE NEW MOON OF SHAWWAL 1444 AH ON 20-04-2023.
According to astronomical parameters, there is No Chance of sighting the new moon of Shawwal, 1444 AH on the evening of 20-04-2023 i.e. on 29th of Ramazan, 1444 AH.
Tweet by Pakistan Met Department on April 20, 2023 at 05:00 pM
Eid ul Fitr 2023 in Saudi Arabia
In Pakistan, mostly people compare the eid dates are with Saudi Arabia as usually Eid in Saudi Arabia is celebrated one day ahead of Pakistan. Same is true this year, in 2023. As per final announcement, unlike Pakistan, Saudi Arabia will celebrate eid on Friday, April 21, 2023.
Eid ul Fitr Holidays in Pakistan for year 2023
The Federal govt announced five holidays for people of Pakistan starting from 21st April until 25th April. Province like Punjab, Sindh and Baluchistan has followed the Federal govt and announced same holidays schedule for people residing in these provinces. However, KPK govt gone one step further in this regard and given a bonus holiday to its people. KPK govt announced six eid ul fitr holidays in KPK province for workplaces as well as the educational institutions including schools, colleges and universities.