ISLAMABAD: Pakistan hoped that the new Islamic year, beginning June 17, would bring tidings of peace and prosperity not only for the Islamic world but also for all humanity, and pledged to promote tolerance, love, brotherhood, and mutual respect in our individual and collective lives. 


On Monday, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced that since the moon of Muharram-ul-Haram 1448 AH has not been sighted, the new Islamic year will begin on Wednesday, June 17. 


According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, President Asif Ali Zardari, in a statement, said that the Holy Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) example of the Migration, which started the Islamic Calendar, gave us the message that nations developed not only through material resources but also through high morals, justice, honesty, unity and common goals.


The president said that at the start of the new year, we should “promote tolerance, love, brotherhood and mutual respect” and avoid “sectarianism, extremism, hatred and prejudice,” playing our full role in making Islamabad a cradle of peace, stability and progress.


The president said that we should promote the spirit of mutual love, brotherhood, compassion, sacrifice and cooperation, adding that it was also the need of the hour to prioritize national interest above differences, prejudices and personal interests. 


Separately, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif congratulated the nation on the beginning of the new year, praying that it would bring tidings of peace and prosperity for all humanity.


“May every day of 1448 Hijri be a guarantee of peace and security, tolerance, mutual harmony, peaceful coexistence and protection of humanity throughout the world,” PM Sharif said. 


He said it was a source of joy that the new year was marked by news of a peaceful resolution of the conflict between Iran and the United States.


“The entire nation deserves congratulations on the fruitfulness of Pakistan's sincere efforts for peace,” he said, adding that the strategy of understanding and peaceful diplomacy was the teaching of Islam.


“At the beginning of the new year, we renew our resolve to remain steadfast in supporting the rights of our suffering Muslim brothers around the world, especially those in Palestine and occupied Kashmir,” he added. 


The prime minister pledged to “promote honesty, hard work, mutual respect and tolerance, and national unity in our individual and collective lives,” and the government would play a positive role in the development, stability, and prosperity of Pakistan.