The Ministry of Science and Technology announced on Tuesday that it had prepared a lunar calendar for the next five years. According to the calendar, Eidul Fitr is likely to fall on June 5 and Eidul Azha on August 12 this year.
In year 2020, Ramazan 1 will start on April 25, while Eidul Fitr will be on May 24 and Eidul Azha on July 31.
According to the lunar calendar, in Year 2021, Ramazan 1 will likely fall on April 14, Eidul Fitr on May 14 and Eidul Azha on July 21.
In Year 2022, Ramazan 1 will likely fall on April 3, Eidul Fitr on May 3 and Eidul Azha on July 10. In year 2023, 1st Ramazan will likely to fall on March 23, Eidul Fitr on April 22 and Eidul Azha on June 29.
In Year 2024, 1st Ramazan will likely fall on March 12, Eidul Fitr on April 10 and Eidul Azha on June 17.
Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry earlier announced on Tuesday that the lunar calendar prepared by a committee of experts has been forwarded to the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII).
The calendar will be sent to the federal cabinet after endorsement of the CII, he said.
The CII will review the lunar calendar and will decide whether the evidence about sighting the moon through the eye is only acceptable or sighting the crescent with equipment is also acceptable under the Islamic law.
The CII in its session after Eid will decide the matter after getting its opinion from various schools of Islamic thought. The minister said that the experts from the Ministry of Science, SPARCO and Pakistan Meteorological Department have prepared the lunar calendar.
Fawad also invited clerics Mufti Muneebur Rehman and Shahabuddin Popalzai to see “how the moon cycle works”. “We are inviting Maulana Muneebur Rehman and Shahabuddin Popalzai to come and witness how the moon cycle works. And see for themselves how easy science has made it easy to predict the lunar calendar. There is no need for an arduous task,” Fawad said on Twitter.
