Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets for Muharram moon sighting

The decision will be announced by Chairman Maulana Khabeer Azad after receiving testimonies

---

Web Desk June 15, 2026 1 min read

Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairperson Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabeer Azad looks through telescope for the new moon. Photo: AFP

---

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting is underway at Badshahi Mosque in Lahore to sight the moon for Muharram 1448 Hijri.

The meeting is being chaired by Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad. Committee members and representatives of the Pakistan Meteorological Department are also attending the meeting.

The meetings of the zonal and district committees will also be held simultaneously at their respective headquarters.

Testimonies regarding the sighting of the moon will be received from Lahore and other parts of the country. The final decision on whether the moon has been sighted will be announced by the chairman of the committee.

According to the Pakistan Meteorological Department, the moon was born at 7:54 am today, but its age at 7:52 pm would be 11 hours and 45 minutes, which was insufficient for sighting.

“In June, the moon should be 21 hours and 20 minutes old for sighting,” the Met Office said.

Earlier in the month, the Ruet-e-Hilal Research Council had stated that Muharram 1448 AH was likely to begin in Pakistan on Wednesday, June 17, as the new moon was not expected to be visible anywhere in the country on the evening of June 15, according to astronomical calculations.

Read More: Muharram likely to begin on June 17

Khalid Ejaz Mufti, Secretary General of the council, said the new moon was born at 7:54 am Pakistan Standard Time (PST) on June 15. However, by sunset on the same day, the moon’s age was less than 12 hours across Pakistan, significantly below the minimum age generally required for crescent sighting.

He explained that the interval between sunset and moonset was another important factor in moon visibility. On June 15, the difference was expected to be 37 minutes in Karachi and 42 minutes in Peshawar. Despite this, the moon’s young age made crescent sighting unlikely.

According to Mufti, the crescent was not visible on the evening of June 15 even under clear weather conditions, whether with the naked eye, binoculars, or telescopes.