Two Eids in Pakistan – again

The Eid controversy culminates as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, parts of Balochistan and Gilgit-Baltistan celebrate Eid today.

The dispute of Shawwal moon sighting ended up in celebration of two Eids on two different days.

Eid-ul Fitr prayers were held in different parts of Khyber Paktunkhwa and Balochistan on Firday, a day before the rest of the country.

Senior Provincial Minister Bashir Bilour said Eid will be celebrated with simplicity in the province this year. Strict security arrangements are in place, across Khyber Paktunkhwa, to avoid any unpleasant situation.

Meanwhile, two districts of Balochistan as well as Gilgit-Baltistan are also celebrating Eid.

Updated from the print edition (below).

Two Eids in  Pakistan – again

Once again there will be two Eids in Pakistan.

Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Munibur Rehman has announced that Shawwal moon has not been sighted and Eidul Fitr will be celebrated on Saturday.

He made the announcement while addressing the media after the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting for the sighting of Shawwal moon.

The meeting was held at the Pakistan Meteorological Department Building in  Karachi. Zonal and District Ruet-e-Hilal Committees also held meetings in their respective areas.

However, following Rehman’s conference, Mufti Popalzai, head of the controversial Masjid Qasim Ali Khan in Peshawar, announced the sighting of the Eid moon – claiming that they had received a number of Shahadats (testimonies).

His announcement was backed by senior provincial minister Bashir Bilour, who said that the province of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will be celebrating Eid on Friday (today).

Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon are set to celebrate Eidul Fitr on Friday. The Supreme Court in Saudi Arabia ruled that since the Shawwal moon was not sighted on Wednesday, Eid would fall on Friday.

Most of the Gulf countries follow the lead of Saudi Arabia to set the day of the Eid feast.

Egypt’s Darul-Iftar, the body that issues Islamic edicts, also announced Thursday to be the end of Ramazan for the country.

Following suit, Lebanon’s Dar al-Fatwa, the country’s highest Sunni authority, likewise said that Eidul Fitr would be celebrated in Lebanon on Friday.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: September 10, 2010

Senior Provincial Minister Bashir Bilour's name was spelled incorrectly.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 10^th, 2010.