Muharram moon sighted in Pakistan, Ashura on September 10

KARACHI: The Hijri year of 1441 has begun with the sighting of the moon of Muharram-ul-Haram in Pakistan as announced by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee here on Saturday evening.

The committee announced that Muharram, the first month of the Islamic (Hijri) calendar will begin from Sunday, September 1, 2019 and the day of Ashura will fall on Tuesday, September 10.

Interestingly, both months of Islamic calendar and Roman calendar – Muharram and September - will go together side by side.

The meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was presided over by its chairman Mufti Munibur Rehman at the Meteorological Complex in Karachi to sight the moon of Muharram, the first month of Islamic calendar.

Zonal Committees also held their meetings in major cities to collect evidences of moon sighting. They sent the evidences to the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee which made the final decision.

Ashura

The day of Ashura is marked by Muslims to commemorate the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain (R.A) and his companions on 10th of Muharram.

Every year, the federal and provincial governments announce two public holidays on 9th and 10th Muharram.

On these days, processions are taken out in all the major cities of the country with government deploying police and paramilitaries to ensure the security of mourners.

In some major cities mobile phone services are also suspended as part of security arrangements.