KP declares public holiday on 1st Muharram

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has declared a public holiday on the first day of Muharram, as a moon-sighting committee meets today.

The provincial government on Monday issued a formal notification stating that all government offices and public institutions across the province will remain closed on the 1st of Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

The government said the exact date of the holiday will depend on the final decision of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, which is scheduled to meet later on Monday in Lahore to determine the start of the new Islamic year, 1448 AH.

The high-level meeting at Badshahi Mosque will be chaired by Maulana Syed Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad and attended by clerics alongside officials from the ministry of religious affairs.

Technical experts from the Pakistan Meteorological Department and SUPARCO will also provide scientific briefings during the session.

Meteorological experts noted that due to the current astronomical age of the moon, the chances of a sighting on Monday evening remain low, making it highly probable that the Islamic New Year and the corresponding public holiday will fall on Wednesday, June 17.