The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has announced that salaries and pensions for all provincial government employees will be disbursed by May 30 ahead of the possible Eid-ul-Adha holidays.

According to an official notification issued by the Finance Department, directives have been sent to all provincial departments and institutions to ensure payments are made by the end of the working month.

The department cited that June 1 falls on a Sunday, which is a non-working day, hence the need for early disbursement.

The move comes as the country awaits the official announcement regarding the date of Eid-ul-Adha, which depends on the sighting of the Zul-Hijjah moon.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has called a meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on May 27 in Islamabad. The session will be chaired by Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, Chairman of the committee, and is expected to determine the beginning of Zul-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committees will also meet the same day at their respective provincial headquarters to assist in collecting crescent sighting testimonies.

“If the moon is sighted on May 27, Eid-ul-Adha will be observed on June 6. However, if the crescent is not visible, the festival will fall on June 7,” a spokesperson for the Ministry said.

Meanwhile, an astronomer has forecast that the moon is more likely to be visible on May 28, suggesting that Eid may be celebrated on June 7 across most parts of the country.