The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) has forecast that there are very low chances of sighting the Muharram ul Haram 2026 1448 Hijri moon in Pakistan on June 15.
According to the department, the new moon will be born on June 15 at 7:54 AM. However, it said that the chances of sighting the crescent moon across the country on the same evening are almost negligible.
The PMD further stated that the moon will not be visible on the evening of June 15 or the 29th of Zil Hajj in Islamic months.
It added that the weather conditions are expected to remain mostly clear or partly cloudy in most parts of the country.
Muharram 2026 moon sighting timings
The department further explained that the moonset timings vary in different regions. According to the details, in Punjab, the moon will set at 7:59 PM.
In Sindh, it is expected to be sighted at 8:05 PM and in Azad Kashmir at 8:07 PM. In Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), the moon is expected to be sighted at 8:12 PM, and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) at 8:23 PM. And in Balochistan, it is expected to be sighted at 8:34 PM.
Earlier, the Ruet e Hilal Research Council also issued its forecast regarding the Muharram moon.
According to Secretary General Khalid Ijaz Mufti, the new moon will be born on June 15, 2026, at 7:54 AM Pakistan time.
However, he said that the age of the moon at sunset will remain less than 12 hours across the country. Adding that at least 18 hours are generally required for visibility.
He added that the time gap between sunset and moonset is also important for crescent sighting. On the evening of June 15, this gap will be around 37 minutes in Karachi and 42 minutes in Peshawar. But the moon’s age will still be too low for visibility.
According to further details, the moon will not be visible even with the naked eye, binoculars, or telescopes, if the sky remains clear. This is because of the young age of the moon
According to the council, after the completion of 30 days of Zil Hajj 1447 Hijri, the first day of Muharram 1448 Hijri is expected to fall on Wednesday, June 17, 2026.
However, the final announcement will be made by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
