LAHORE: The moon will not be visible on the evening of Thursday, June 14,so Eidul Fitr will be observed on Saturday, June 16.
Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council Secretary General Khalid Ejaz Mufti made thisforecast here on Monday. He predicted that Shawwal 1 will be on Saturday atthe earliest.
He said new moon cannot be sighted until and unless its age is a minimum of19 hours at the time of sunset (at the place of observation), thedifference between sunset and moonset (lag time) is a minimum of 40minutes, the angle of moon’s separation from the earth’s surface (altitude)is minimum of six degrees, and the angle of the moon’s separation from thesun (elongation) is a minimum of 10 degrees.
The new moon will ‘begin’ at 00:43 PST on Thursday. The age of the new moonat the time of sunset on Thursday evening will be less than 19 hours, soEid will be celebrated on Saturday after the completion of 30 days for themonth of Ramazan.
Although the month of Ramazan started on the same day in Pakistan and SaudiArabia – May 17 – it is expected that Saudi Arabia will celebrate EidulFitr on Friday, he said.