Pakistan Expected to Celebrate Eid al-Fitr on 21 March 2026

Pakistan’s Meteorology Department has projected that the Shawwal crescent moon will most likely not be visible on 19 March. If this situation occurs, Eid al-Fitr is estimated to fall on 21 March 2026 after Ramadan lasts a complete 30 days.

“Officials at Pakistan’s Meteorology Department have stated there is a strong likelihood the moon will be visible on 20 March,” according to Pakistan Today, Wednesday (25 February 2026).

Should this observation be confirmed, Eid al-Fitr is likely to be celebrated nationally on Saturday, 21 March, pending the official decision from the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the authority responsible for determining the beginning of Islamic lunar months in Pakistan.

This projection also aligns with previous accurate forecasts regarding the start of Ramadan. Before Ramadan began, the meteorology department had predicted the likelihood of the hilal being visible in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, including Peshawar. At that time, lowland areas were expected to be clear, whilst mountainous regions experienced partly cloudy weather.

The Ramadan crescent was eventually observed on 29 Shaaban, corresponding to 18 February, with the first day of fasting beginning on 19 February 2026 following the official announcement by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

In the Islamic lunar calendar, the number of days in one month ranges between 29 to 30 days, depending on the visibility of the crescent moon. Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, is also approximately 10 to 11 days shorter than the Gregorian calendar, causing its date to shift every year.