Published: May 17, 2026 | Source: Dawn News / Geo News

The Ruet-i-Hilal Committee has officially announced that the Zilhaj moon has been sighted across Pakistan. As a result, Eidul Azha 1447 AH will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

The announcement was made on Sunday, May 17, after the central and zonal committees held their official moon sighting meetings in major cities across the country.

Eidul Azha 2026 — Key Dates at a Glance

Moon Sighting Date	Sunday, 17 May 2026
1st Zilhaj 1447 AH	Monday, 18 May 2026
Eidul Azha	Wednesday, 27 May 2026
Announced By	Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Pakistan
Chairperson	Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad

Moon Sighting Meetings Held Across Pakistan

The central meeting of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee was held in Karachi on Sunday, May 17, 2026. In addition, zonal committee meetings were also convened simultaneously in the following cities:

• Islamabad
• Lahore
• Quetta
• Peshawar

After the completion of all meetings, Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairperson Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad addressed a press conference and made the official announcement.

Official Announcement by Committee Chairperson

Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad stated that the skies were mostly clear across Pakistan on Sunday, except in a few areas. Moon sighting testimonies were received from multiple locations including:

• Karachi and other cities of Sindh
• Mardan
• Rawalpindi
• Peshawar
• Several other areas across the country

Based on these testimonies, the committee unanimously decided that:

• 1st Zilhaj 1447 AH will be on Monday, May 18, 2026
• Eidul Azha will fall on Wednesday, May 27, 2026

Suparco Had Already Forecast May 27 for Eidul Azha

Earlier this week, the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) had also released an official forecast regarding the Zilhaj moon. Suparco stated that:

• The new moon of Zilhaj 1447 AH was expected to be born on May 17 at 1:01 AM.
• At sunset on May 17, the age of the new moon would be approximately 18 hours and 30 minutes.
• The interval between sunset and moonset along Pakistan's coastal belt was estimated at approximately 60 minutes.
• Based on these astronomical parameters, the chances of sighting the Zilhaj crescent on the evening of May 17 were considered favourable, subject to clear weather conditions and visibility near the horizon.

Suparco had therefore anticipated that the 1st Zilhaj 1447 AH would fall on Monday, May 18, marking the conclusion of the holy month of Zilqad, and that Eidul Azha would fall on May 27.

The official announcement by the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is now fully consistent with Suparco's earlier forecast.

Summary

The Zilhaj moon has been officially sighted in Pakistan on Sunday, May 17, 2026. The 1st Zilhaj begins on Monday, May 18, and Eidul Azha 1447 AH will be celebrated across the country on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.

The decision was made unanimously by the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee after receiving moon sighting testimonies from Karachi, Sindh, Mardan, Rawalpindi, Peshawar, and other areas of Pakistan.

Source: This news has been reported based on information published by Dawn News and Geo News on May 17, 2026. All credit for the original reporting belongs to the respective news organizations.