Srinagar, Feb. 19 -- Ramzan fasts will begin on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir and the rest of the country as the crescent moon marking the start of the fasting month was sighted in various parts of the country on Wednesday.

After the sighting of the moon, the holy month begins, and for the next 30 days, Muslims fast from dawn to dusk.

The first fast of the holy month of Ramadan will be observed in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, as the crescent moon was sighted on Wednesday evening.

Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Nasir-ul-Islam Farooqi, announced the sighting after receiving verified reports from various districts across the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region.

The announcement was made following extensive consultations with scholar...