A Ruet-e-Hilal Committee session has been called for May 23 to sight the Shawwal moon to announce the next Islamic month in the lunar calendar.

The session is scheduled to take place in Karachi next Saturday.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has asked the Meteorological Office to refrain from moon sightings.

The ministry has maintained that the right is exclusively ordained for the Ruet-e-Hilal committee.

The Ruet-e-Hilal committee had asked the ministry of religious affairs to intervene in the matter and ask the MET office to cease and desist, although they can support the committee in the sighting on May 23.