KARACHI: The Shawwal moon was sighted in different parts of the country on Wednesday marking the end of the month of Ramazan and advent of Eidul Fitr.
Mufti Munibur Rehman, the Chairman of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee announced at a press conference that more than enough evidence of the sighting of Shawwal moon in the four provinces had been received and the committee had unanimously decided that Friday would be the 1st of Shawwal.
“The zonal committees in different parts of the country were in constant touch with the central committee in Karachi. Members of the committee in Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Sialkot, Jaccobabad, Sanghar, Mian Chunnu, Gilgit, Okara, Mandi Bahauddin, Zob and Islamabad sighted the moon,” he said.
Though Eid was celebrated in North Waziristan and some other parts of tribal areas on Thursday, a 25-member committee of ulema of tribal areas declared after four hours of deliberations that Eid would be celebrated in their areas on Friday along with the people across the country for the first time after years of difference over moon sighting between the central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and a committee headed by Peshawar’s Qasim Ali Khan mosque led by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai.
For this part, Mufti Muneebur Rehman recognised efforts of the provincial government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and its clerics, who he said played key role to bring the controversy to an end. He also appreciated the role of federal minister for religious affairs to convince clerics from different schools thoughts on the consensus decision.
“I must also appreciate Khyber Pakhtunkhwa minister for religious affairs Habibur Rehman for his efforts that we have come to this consensus decision and the entire nation celebrates Eid unanimously,” said the chairman Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.
Some militant groups, openly challenging the government’s writ, also had a role in celebration of Eid on Thursday. Mangal Bagh, commander of the banned Lashkar-i-Islam outfit, had announced in Bara that Eid would be celebrated in Thursday.