PESHAWAR — Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government on Monday announced public holiday on 1st Muharram, issuing a formal notification under which all government offices and relevant institutions will remain closed.
The provincial administration said the observance of holiday will be aligned with the decision of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee regarding the sighting of the Muharram crescent as Muslims across the globe are set to welcome Islamic year 1448 AH.
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is scheduled to meet in Lahore today to review testimonies and technical reports regarding the moon sighting. The meeting will be chaired by Chairman of the committee and Khateeb of Badshahi Mosque, Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad.
The session will be attended by members of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, provincial moon sighting committees, religious scholars from different schools of thought, as well as representatives from SUPARCO and the Meteorological Department, who will brief the committee on technical aspects of lunar visibility.
Met experts said due to the age of the moon, chances of its visibility today remain low, suggesting that 1st Muharram 1448 AH is likely to fall on Wednesday, June 17.
The official confirmation of the Islamic New Year, however, will be made following the committee’s announcement after the conclusion of its meeting.
