KARACHI: Saudi Arabia’s moon observers said there was no sight of the Ramazan crescent on Saturday, meaning millions of Muslims around the world will begin the holy month on Monday.

The Muslim world follows a lunar calendar, and the traditional moon-sighting methodology can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramazan a day or two apart.

In Pakistan, a meeting of the central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee would be held in Karachi on Sunday (today) for sighting the crescent of Ramazan. The zonal and district Ruet-i-Hilal Committees would also meet at their respective places.

Ruet-i-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman would announce the decision of the crescent sighting or otherwise subsequently on the basis of information received.

An APP report said all information about the positioning of the crescent could be conveyed to him on mobile phone number 0300-9285203 and 0321-2022000 and the Pakistan Meteorological Department, Karachi on 021-99261412 and 021-99261413.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2019