Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to meet on June 15 for Muharram moon sighting

• Committee to review moon-sighting testimonies.
• No chances of moon sighting on June 15: PMD.
• Muharram moon marks beginning of Islamic year.
  

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will convene on June 15 to sight the Muharram-ul-Haram 1448 AH moon and determine the beginning of the new Islamic year.

Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad will chair the meeting at Iqbal Hall, Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, according to an official announcement.

The committee will review moon-sighting testimonies received from across the country before making an official announcement.

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has said that there were no chances of moon sighting on June 15, as the interval between the birth of the moon and sunset will be insufficient for crescent visibility.

In an advisory issued on June 11, the Met Office said weather conditions were expected to remain clear in several parts of the country.

However, it added that the moon is likely to be born at 7:54am on June 15 and, as a result, will not be visible by sunset on Zil Hajj 29.

The PMD provided details of moonset timings across different regions of the country, saying the moon is expected to set at 7:59pm in Punjab, 8:55pm in Sindh, 8:23pm in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and 8:34pm in Balochistan.

In Gilgit-Baltistan, the moon will set at 8:00pm, while in Azad Jammu and Kashmir it will remain visible until 8:07pm.

Muharram is regarded as one of the four sacred Islamic months. Ashura falls on its 10th day when the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Hazrat Imam Hussain (RA) along with his family members were martyred in the battle of Karbala.

Faithful hold processions and majalis in Muharram, while religious scholars address huge gatherings across the country.