LAHORE: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has announced that the crescent of Muharram-ul-Haram was not sighted anywhere in Pakistan, confirming the start of the Islamic month according to the official lunar calendar.
The statement came after a session of the committee held under the chairmanship of the committee chairman, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad, in Lahore. Members of the committee, along with delegates from the Meteorological Department, participated in the session.
Addressing the press conference, Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad stated that no sighting reports about the crescent of Muharram have been received from any part of the country. Therefore, it was determined that 1st Muharram-ul-Haram will occur on June 17, while Ashura (10th Muharram) will take place on June 26.
Earlier, officials of the Meteorological Department informed the committee that the birth of the moon occurred at 7:54 AM, while its age by sunset was estimated at about 11 hours and 45 minutes, which is not enough for sighting.
Further, they elaborated that the age of the Moon has to be at least 21 hours in order for the crescent to be visible under natural circumstances, rendering the sighting of the moon improbable on the evening of June 15.
After this announcement, the government will be expected to release notifications pertaining to holiday days for Ashura based on the Islamic date calculations.
The decision by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee marks the calendar for events held during Muharram based on Islamic dates.
KP Muharram Security: Partial Mobile Suspension Proposed for 9th and 10th Muharram
Earlier, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has been requested to suspend mobile phone and internet services in selected sensitive areas of the province on the 9th and 10th of Muharram as part of enhanced security arrangements, officials said on Monday.
A formal letter has been sent to the Home Department to partially shut down mobile services on 9th and 10th Muharram.
According to the details, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police has completed its security homework report to ensure law and order across the province during Muharram.
This confidential report, prepared on the instructions of the IG Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has recommended keeping several districts of the province on high alert, while the services of the Pakistan Army, Frontier Constabulary and modern technology will be sought to make security fullproof.
According to the police security report, 8 districts of the province have been declared the most sensitive, including Peshawar, Kohat, Hangu, Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan), Tank, Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Kurram district.
In addition to these 8 districts, 6 more districts have been included in the sensitive category in view of security concerns, where security for gatherings and processions will be tighter than usual.
The report clarified that more than 43,000 police officers and personnel will be on duty in 14 districts of the province to protect the processions and gatherings of Muharram. To further strengthen security, FC platoons will also be deployed to assist the police in the most sensitive districts, while police security will receive full support from the Pakistan Army to deal with any emergency situation.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police is also taking important recommended steps to reduce security threats, for which a formal letter has been sent to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home Department to partially shut down mobile phone and internet services in specific and sensitive areas of the province on 9 and 10 Muharram.
Aerial surveillance of the routes of mourning processions in sensitive and most sensitive districts will be carried out by helicopters and drones, along with this, a modern anti-drone system will also be active in these districts during Muharram to ensure security so that any unauthorized aerial activity can be prevented.
Officials say that RPOs and DPOs of all districts have been instructed to work with mourning committees and scholars to ensure implementation of the code of conduct.
