F.P. Report
KARACHI: The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee has announced that the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon was not sighted.
As per the committee, tomorrow (Monday) will be observed as the 30th of Safar, and Eid Milad-un-Nabi (PBUH) will be celebrated on Saturday, September 6.
The Rabi-ul-Awwal is the Islamic month celebrated for the birth of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad chaired the meeting, which was held at the Pakistan Meteorological Department’s Met Office after Asr prayers.
Zonal committee meetings were held in Islamabad, Lahore, Quetta, Peshawar, and other cities for the sighting of the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon.
The final announcement regarding the sighting of the moon was made after no evidences were received from different parts of the country, by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
The Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) had earlier predicted that the moon of Rabi-ul-Awwal 1447 Hijri is expected to be born on August 23 at 11:06 AM.
By the evening of August 24, the Rabi-ul-Awwal moon would be 32 hours and 13 minutes old, increasing the likelihood of it being visible, a SUPARCO spokesperson said.
A spokesperson added that in coastal regions, there would be a 45-minute interval between sunset and moonset, a favourable condition for moon sighting.
Earlier, The Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA) had officially finalised the application process for Pakistan’s Government Hajj Scheme 2026.
According to the ministry’s resources, a total of 118,060 applications were received from different parts of the country, marking the end of this year’s submission phase. The application process was concluded in just 17 days, earlier than in previous years, due to the high number of applicants, despite applications being accepted online and through banks on a first-come, first-served basis.
People submitted their applications for both short and long Hajj trips, indicating their different preferences.
