Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will meet on Monday to sight the crescent moon of Muharram-ul-Haram 1448 AH and determine the start of the new Islamic year.

The meeting will be chaired by Chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, at Iqbal Hall inside the historic Badshahi Mosque in Lahore.

Officials from the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, and other relevant institutions will attend the session. The committee will review moon-sighting testimonies received from across the country before making an official announcement.

At the same time, the zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Islamabad will hold its meeting at Kohsar Block, while similar sessions will take place in major cities and districts nationwide.

If the crescent is sighted, Pakistan will observe the first day of Muharram on Tuesday. Otherwise, the new Islamic year will begin a day later.

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar and is considered one of the four sacred months in Islam. The month holds deep religious significance for Muslims around the world, particularly the observance of Ashura on the 10th of Muharram.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is also expected to conduct its moon-sighting process today. The annual replacement of the Kiswah, the black cloth covering the Holy Kaaba, is traditionally carried out on the first day of Muharram.

Previously, the Kiswah was replaced during the month of Dhul Hijjah before the practice was changed in recent years.