Pakistan to decide Muharram moon sighting in June 15 meeting

ISLAMABAD: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has called an important meeting on June 15 to sight the moon of Muharram-ul-Haram.

In this meeting, the testimonies received from across the country will be reviewed, and a final announcement will be made regarding the sighting of the moon.

The meeting will be held at Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, where the committee members will conduct a detailed examination of the moon sighting testimonies received from different areas.

The official announcement will be made only after the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee collects information from the entire country.

According to astronomers, the chances of sighting the moon of Muharram in Pakistan on June 15 are negligible. They say that it will not be possible to see the moon in any part of the country that evening. Astronomers have predicted that if the situation continues, Muharram-ul-Haram is expected to begin in Pakistan on June 17, thus the first month of the Islamic calendar will likely begin a day after the moon is not sighted.

According to experts, the Day of Ashura is likely to fall on June 26; however, the final date will be decided only after the meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and the official announcement.