Religious Ministry gears up efforts for one Eid across Pakistan
It could consider holding central Ruet body’s meeting in Peshawar instead of Lahore
It could consider holding central Ruet body’s meeting in Peshawar instead of Lahore. PHOTO: AFP
ISLAMABAD:
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has geared up efforts to achieve a consensus so that people can celebrate Eid on the same day throughout the country.
For this purpose it will approach clerics in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), especially from Masjid Qasim Khan, where the evidence of sighting the moon for Ramazan and Shawwal often contradicts with the findings of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Religious observance: Mosques make special arrangements for aitekaf
The ministry will especially contact Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of Masjid Qasim Khan in Peshawar and convince him to avoid making conflicting announcements of the Eid moon, Ministry of Religious Affairs joint secretary Noor Zaman told The Express Tribune.
It was due to the efforts of Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf that Ramazan started on the same day throughout the country. However, the ministry is struggling to achieve that consensus on the Shawwal moon so that there is an end to the controversy in this regard once and for all, explained the official privy to the development.
The official said K-P Religious Affairs Minister Habibur Rahman and director general are also in touch with central authorities in this regard.
The official said the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s zonal bodies will meet in provincial capitals on July 5 and before that a delegation led by Sardar Yousuf will meet provincial authorities -- including Mufti Popalzai -- so that the mufti could not make any announcement before the announcement of the Ruet committee.
Ruet-e-Hilal Committee: Political appointments irk Senate body
According to the official, if Popalzai agrees to cooperate with the federal government, the ministry will consider holding the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting in Peshawar instead of Lahore, adding the committee has also decided to wait for Popalzai to collect evidence of sighting of the Eid moon.
The country celebrated Eid on three different days in 2014 because the committee and religious scholars from K-P failed to reach a consensus on the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2016.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs has geared up efforts to achieve a consensus so that people can celebrate Eid on the same day throughout the country.
For this purpose it will approach clerics in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), especially from Masjid Qasim Khan, where the evidence of sighting the moon for Ramazan and Shawwal often contradicts with the findings of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
Religious observance: Mosques make special arrangements for aitekaf
The ministry will especially contact Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of Masjid Qasim Khan in Peshawar and convince him to avoid making conflicting announcements of the Eid moon, Ministry of Religious Affairs joint secretary Noor Zaman told The Express Tribune.
It was due to the efforts of Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousuf that Ramazan started on the same day throughout the country. However, the ministry is struggling to achieve that consensus on the Shawwal moon so that there is an end to the controversy in this regard once and for all, explained the official privy to the development.
The official said K-P Religious Affairs Minister Habibur Rahman and director general are also in touch with central authorities in this regard.
The official said the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s zonal bodies will meet in provincial capitals on July 5 and before that a delegation led by Sardar Yousuf will meet provincial authorities -- including Mufti Popalzai -- so that the mufti could not make any announcement before the announcement of the Ruet committee.
Ruet-e-Hilal Committee: Political appointments irk Senate body
According to the official, if Popalzai agrees to cooperate with the federal government, the ministry will consider holding the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meeting in Peshawar instead of Lahore, adding the committee has also decided to wait for Popalzai to collect evidence of sighting of the Eid moon.
The country celebrated Eid on three different days in 2014 because the committee and religious scholars from K-P failed to reach a consensus on the sighting of the Shawwal moon.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 28th, 2016.