ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s national space agency predicted on Wednesday the first day of the Eid-Al-Fitr festival that caps the holy month of Ramadan would likely be observed on Monday, Mar. 31.

The sighting of the new moon, or the Shawwal crescent moon as it is otherwise called, signifies the end of Ramadan, and the beginning of Eid Al-Fitr and its festivities. Ramadan in Pakistan began on Mar. 2, a day later than in most other Muslim countries, and Eid is thus widely expected to fall on Mar. 31. 

Pakistan’s central moon sighting body, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, observes the Shawwal moon before Eid each year and announces the start of the holiday. 

“The likelihood of moon sighting on Mar. 30, 2025 in Pakistan is very bright,” the Space & Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) said in a statement. 

“Consequently, Ramadan is expected to complete 29 days, and the first day of Eid-Al-Fitr will likely be observed on Mar. 31, 2025.” 

The sighting of the Shawwal crescent moon is determined by a combination of astronomical factors and traditional practices, including the moon’s age, its angular separation from the sun, and visibility conditions.

Muslims look for the crescent moon in the sky shortly after sunset on the 29th day of Ramadan each year. 

If the moon is sighted, the following day is declared as the first day of the new month of Shawwal and the start of Eid Al-Fitr.
 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani journalist Waheed Murad was taken away from his residence in Islamabad by masked men early Wednesday morning, his family said, as prominent members of the media community condemned the development and called for his immediate recovery.
Murad works with Urdu News, a digital media outlet catering to Urdu-speaking audiences in Pakistan and abroad. The incident with him follows a growing pattern of intimidation and harassment against journalists in the country, particularly those seen as critical of the establishment.
“My husband, @awaheedmurad, was taken away at 2 a.m. last night by masked men,” his wife, journalist Shinza Nawaz, wrote on social media platform X. “They kept asking repeatedly, ‘Where is his wife?’”
“My mother was also at home,” she continued. “They misbehaved with her as well — she was pushed. My mother is a heart patient. They took my mother’s phone, both of Waheed’s phones, and some documents.”
In a video clip circulated after the incident, Murad’s mother-in-law, Abida Nawaz, said the masked men who arrived at their residence identified themselves as police.
“There were three vehicles and around 15 to 20 people,” she continued. “They did not show any warrant or documents. They broke down the doors and dragged Waheed away.”
Murad’s disappearance comes just days after the disappearance of the brothers of exiled Pakistani journalist Ahmad Noorani.
On March 18, around midnight, approximately two dozen individuals identifying themselves as police forcibly entered Noorani’s family home in Islamabad, assaulted his two brothers and took them to an undisclosed location.
Two days later, on March 20, the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) arrested journalist Farhan Mallick in Karachi. Mallick, founder of the digital media platform Raftar, was detained on allegations of airing “anti-state” content on his YouTube channel.
International rights organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have expressed increasing concern over the deteriorating climate for press freedom in Pakistan.
CPJ and other advocacy groups have repeatedly urged the government to address such incidents and to ensure the safety of journalists operating in the country.