Public holiday announced on June 17, 2026

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government (KP) has announced to observe public holiday across the province on the account of 1st Muharram 1448 Hijri on June 17, 2026.

First Muharram falls on the beginning of the new Islamic year and also has the significance of being Martyrdom Day of Hazrat Umar Farooq (RA) second Caliph of Islam.

According to the notification issued by the administration department, public places and offices will be closed according to the decision of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to confirm visibility of Muharram moon and begin a new Islamic year.

On account of the notification, offices and public places of KP will be closed on First Muharram.

Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad announced on Monday that the Muharram moon was not sighted thus 1st Muharram 1448 Hijri will be observed on Wednesday, June 17, 2026. The moon-sighting committee met at Iqbal Hall at the Badshahi Mosque in Lahore, while parallel meetings were held by provincial and zonal committees in several cities around the country.

Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad had said that the committee had not received any credible testimonies regarding the sighting of the crescent moon on Monday and that the new Islamic year would therefore commence on Wednesday, June 17. The 10th of Muharram 1448 Hijri (Ashura) would occur on Friday, June 26.