The Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Saturday announced that the Muharram moon has been sighted in the country, DawnNewsTV reported.

According to Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, chairman of the committee, Muharram will begin on September 1 while Ashura — Muharram 10 — will fall on Sept 10.

Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar. It is a month of mourning, observed in particular by Shia Muslims worldwide.

Read more: Pillion riding banned in Sindh on Muharram 9, 10

It commemorates the Battle of Karbala in 680 AD, where amongst many, the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), Imam Husain, was martyred and other family members were martyred or subjected to humiliation.

Keeping in view the need for extra security due to the spike in religious activity during the first 10 days of Muharram, provincial governments have started making arrangements accordingly.

The Sindh government has imposed a ban on pillion riding on Muharram 9 and 10 to avoid any untoward incident and maintain law and order in the province.

In addition, carrying arms and ammunition except for uniformed personnel of police, Rangers and other law enforcement agencies will also be banned from Muharram 1 to 10.

The assembly of five or more people except in Muharram processions, majalis and tazia, and objectionable and provocative wall chalking, banners, posters and speeches have also been banned for 10 days under Section 144. Aerial firing and taking out of processions without the permission of competent authorities have also been barred.

Similarly, the Islamabad administration and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government have imposed a ban on pillion riding in several parts of their regions, while the Punjab government has been considering ordering the same.