Pakistan may extend Eid holidays

Pakistan may extend Eid-ul-Fitr holidays, according to a national daily. The decision on the extension is expected to be announced soon. If approved, the extended holidays will run from Thursday, 20 April, to Tuesday, 25 April.

Earlier this week, the federal government had already announced the schedule for the Eid holidays, which will be observed from Friday, 21 April, to Tuesday, 25 April. The KP government will have a longer holiday period, from Friday, 21 April, to Wednesday, 26 April, while Punjab will follow the federal government’s schedule.

On Thursday, 20 April, the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee will hold its monthly meeting to sight the crescent of Shawaal, which marks the end of Ramadan and the start of Eid-ul-Fitr. The zonal committees will also meet on the same day to sight the moon in their respective zones.

The central meeting will take place at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony building in Islamabad, chaired by Molana Abdul Khabeer Azad. The decision on whether to extend the Eid holidays may be based on the sighting of the moon and other factors.