Ashura likely on 22nd

Islamabad: The Pakistan Meteorological Department has seen a high likelihood of Muharram, the first month of the next Islamic lunar calendar, beginning on September 12.

If that forecast is taken as true, then ‘Ashura’, which marks the martyrdom of Hazrat Imam Hussain on Muharram 10, will fall on September 22. The country’s main moon-sighting body, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, will meet on September 10 to sight the Muharram moon and examine the countrywide evidence of the sighting of the new Hijri year 1440 AH's moon.

The committee is assisted by the PMD, Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission, and Pakistan Navy. According to Abdul Rashid, director at the PMD Climate Data Processing Centre, the new moon of Muharram 1440 AH will be born on crossing conjunction point at 23:02 PST on September 9, 2018.

"According to astronomical parameters, there is a slight chance of the sighting of the moon of Muharram on the evening of September 10, 2018, i.e. on 29th of Zilhij 1439 AH," he said. The weatherman said the climate record showed that the weather on September 10 was expected to be 'fair/partly cloudy' in most parts of the country.