Muharram is a sensitive week to be moving through Gilgit or Skardu. On 9 and 10 Muharram, large Ashura processions fill both city centres, mobile networks are routinely switched off for security, and the roads through town see hours of closures and diversions. In 2026, 9 Muharram falls on Thursday 25 June and Ashura (10 Muharram) on Friday 26 June. None of this needs to cancel a Gilgit-Baltistan trip, but it changes how the days around it should be planned.
This guide covers the dates, what actually happens in Gilgit and Skardu, how mobile and road disruption typically works, and how to plan around it if your travel dates fall near Muharram.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| 1 Muharram 1448 | Wednesday 17 June 2026 |
| 9 Muharram | Thursday 25 June 2026 |
| Ashura (10 Muharram) | Friday 26 June 2026 |
| Most affected | Gilgit and Skardu city centres |
| Mobile networks | Commonly suspended in sensitive areas on 9 and 10 Muharram |
| Roads most affected | Karakoram Highway and Gilgit-Skardu road, through the two cities |
| Normal travel usually resumes | Around 12 Muharram (28 June 2026) |
When is Muharram in 2026?
Muharram follows the lunar Islamic calendar, so its dates move back by about 10 to 11 days every year and are confirmed only after moon sighting. For 1448 AH, Pakistan's Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee placed 1 Muharram on 17 June 2026, making 9 Muharram Thursday 25 June and Ashura Friday 26 June. Treat these as the working dates for planning, but check nearer the time in case the sighting shifts them by a day.
Chehlum, 40 days after Ashura, falls around early August 2026. It draws smaller processions than Ashura itself, but Gilgit and Skardu see a lighter version of the same security measures.
What actually happens in Gilgit and Skardu
Gilgit-Baltistan has a large Shia population and a history of sectarian tension that has flared during Muharram in past decades, including prolonged curfews in some years. Because of that history, the authorities treat Ashura as a major security event every year: police, the Frontier Corps and, when needed, the army are deployed along procession routes in Gilgit and Skardu, with checkpoints and route restrictions in the city centres. In 2026, the central processions in both cities passed off peacefully under this security.
For a visitor, the practical effect is the same whether the day passes quietly or not: city centres are the wrong place to be moving through with a loaded jeep, mobile coverage is unreliable, and plans need a buffer.
Mobile and internet suspensions
Pakistan routinely suspends mobile phone and sometimes mobile internet services in sensitive districts on the key Muharram days, and Gilgit-Baltistan has followed this pattern in past years, occasionally starting a day early. When it happens, calls, SMS and mobile data all stop, which means no calling ahead to a hotel, no ride-hailing apps and no mobile banking. Our guide to which SIM works in Gilgit-Baltistan covers coverage generally; during Muharram, assume no network at all on the two main days and plan as if you had none.
- Carry enough cash for two or three days rather than relying on cards or mobile wallets.
- Agree a fixed meeting time and place with your driver or group before the network drops, not after.
- Tell family at home your plan in advance, since you may not be able to call to confirm you are fine.
Road closures around Ashura
The Karakoram Highway through Gilgit and the Gilgit-Skardu road through Skardu are the two routes most affected, because the main processions move through the town centres on both days. Gilgit-Baltistan's tourism department has, in past years, advised travellers to avoid moving through Gilgit and Skardu on 9 and 10 Muharram specifically and to plan onward journeys after about 12 Muharram, once normal traffic returns. Check the current advisory on the Gilgit-Baltistan tourism department site before you travel, since the exact restrictions are set closer to the date.
Away from the two city centres, the highway generally stays open, but expect delays through Gilgit or Skardu, less predictable fuel stations, and some shops and restaurants closed. Karimabad and Skardu's outlying areas are less affected than the city centres themselves.
Should you plan a trip around this window?
If your dates are fixed and fall on 9 or 10 Muharram, you can still travel, but don't schedule anything that depends on moving through Gilgit or Skardu on those two days, and don't count on mobile signal to sort out a problem. If you have any flexibility, shift arrival or departure so those two days fall in Hunza, Skardu's outlying valleys, or somewhere off the main road rather than in transit through the cities. Our travel guide has more on planning a Gilgit-Baltistan trip around dates like this, and our guide to Eid travel covers the other holiday period that reshapes traffic and hotel demand in the region.
If you are already there for Muharram
Stay away from procession routes unless you specifically want to observe from a respectful distance, and follow local police direction if a road is closed. Expect some restaurants and shops in Gilgit and Skardu city centres to be shut for a day or two. Keep your driver's number written down as well as saved in your phone, since a suspended network makes a saved contact useless. Our Gilgit-Baltistan emergency numbers guide is worth saving to paper before you go, for the same reason.
Frequently asked questions
When is Muharram 2026 in Gilgit-Baltistan?
9 Muharram falls on Thursday 25 June 2026 and Ashura (10 Muharram) on Friday 26 June 2026, based on the confirmed start of Muharram on 17 June. These dates can shift by a day depending on moon sighting.
Will mobile networks be switched off in Gilgit-Baltistan during Ashura?
In most recent years, mobile phone and sometimes mobile internet services have been suspended in sensitive parts of Gilgit-Baltistan on 9 and 10 Muharram as a security measure. Plan as if you will have no signal on those two days.
Is Gilgit-Baltistan safe to visit during Muharram?
Processions are heavily policed every year and recent years have passed off peacefully, but the region has a history of sectarian tension around this period. Avoid procession routes, check current advice locally, and build flexibility into your plans for 9 and 10 Muharram.
Can I still drive the Karakoram Highway during Muharram?
The highway itself generally stays open, but passing through Gilgit or Skardu on 9 and 10 Muharram means delays and possible diversions around procession routes. Travel outside those two city centres is less affected.
Should I change my Hunza or Skardu trip if it falls on Ashura?
You don't need to cancel, but avoid having 9 or 10 Muharram fall on a day you need to drive through Gilgit or Skardu city, and keep a cash and paper-contact backup for the mobile network suspension.
