KP observes first day of Ramazan today

Saturday May 27, is being observed as the first day of Ramazan in parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Saudi Arabia and 30 other countries across the world.

Whereas, Pakistan along with India, Bangladesh and Iraq have declared Sunday as the first day of Ramazan-1438 fasting.

After the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee failed to sight the crescent on Friday, the committee chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman announced Sunday to be observed as the first day of Ramazan.

The meeting took place at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

Followed by the announcement, Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of Peshawar's Masjid Qasim Ali Khan declared Saturday as the first day claiming that they received 13 testimonies, including one from a woman, of sighting of Ramazan moon.

Earlier Met Office had predicted that the Islamic month was expected to begin from May 28, 2017, and is likely to end on June 25.

As per astronomic calculations, Turkey along with Muslim communities in the US and Europe expect the first day of Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, June 25.

Last year in May, member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had voted in favour of adopting a single unified lunar calendar but still local sightings are the default policy in each country.

Taraweeh prayers will be held across Pakistan from tonight as Ramazan begins from Sunday.