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The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Thursday announced the sighting of the Muharram-ul-Haram moon for the Islamic year 1447 AH, marking the beginning of the new lunar year from Friday, June 27. Accordingly, Ashura — the 10th of Muharram — will be observed on Sunday, July 6.
The announcement was made by Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad following a meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Quetta. Officials from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and the national space agency, SUPARCO, were also in attendance.
Zonal and district moon sighting committee meetings were simultaneously held at their respective headquarters, with the Islamabad zonal committee convening at the Ministry of Religious Affairs’ Secretariat.
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Addressing a press conference after the meeting, Maulana Azad confirmed the sighting of the new moon. “The moon of Muharram-ul-Haram has been sighted. Friday, June 27, will mark the first day of Muharram, while the 9th of Muharram will fall on Saturday, July 5, and Ashura — the 10th of Muharram — will be observed on Sunday, July 6,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the Meteorological Department had noted that dusty conditions in Quetta could reduce the chances of moon visibility. It had projected that the moon would be visible between 8:10 PM and 9:00 PM, with an expected age of 28 hours and 38 minutes.
Pakistan’s national space agency, SUPARCO, had also released a forecast regarding the lunar month. It stated that the birth of the Muharram moon was expected on June 25 at 3:32 PM, and by sunset on June 26, the moon’s age would be approximately 28 hours and 15 minutes.
The agency noted that coastal areas of the country would have a 75-minute gap between sunset and moonset — conditions considered highly favourable for sighting the new crescent.
