Eid ul Fitr 2026 is expected to fall on March 21 in Pakistan, after a 30-day Ramadan, with experts saying the chances of sighting the Shawwal crescent on the evening of March 19 are low.
“The new moon of Shawwal 1447 AH is expected to be born on March 19, 2026, at 06:23 PST,” the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) said on Wednesday.
“At the time of sunset on March 19, 2026, the age of the new moon will be approximately 12 hours and 41 minutes, with an estimated interval of 28 minutes between sunset and moonset along the coastal belt of Pakistan,” the statement added.
Based on these astronomical parameters, Suparco said, the chances of sighting the Shawwal Crescent on the evening of March 19 were “low”.
The first Shawwal should therefore fall on Saturday March 21, marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
However, Suparco said that the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Pakistan will take the final decision regarding the sighting of the crescent and the beginning of Eid ul Fitr across the country.
The Muslim world welcomes Eid ul Fitr with deep religious devotion, after more than a billion believers fasted for a month to practice patience, self-discipline and generosity.
Pakistan began the first fast of Ramadan 2026 on February 19, following the announcement of the sighting of a crescent moon by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad.
Islamic months last 29 or 30 days, with their beginning and end determined by the sighting of the crescent moon, so Ramadan does not fall on the same Gregorian date each year.
As the ninth month of the 12-month Islamic calendar – which is about 10 days shorter than the Gregorian year due to its lunar basis – Ramadan changes each year according to the Gregorian calendar.
