Peshawar clerics declare central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee ‘illegal, unconstitutional’
Demand federal govt reconstitute the moon-sighting body after taking all ulema of the country on board
Mufti Muneebur Rehman. PHOTO: WASEEM NIAZ
PESHAWAR:
Religious clerics from Peshawar have declared the central Ruet-e-Hilal committee ‘illegal and unconstitutional’, and urged the federal government to reconstitute it after taking all religious scholars of the country on board.
At a meeting chaired by Maulana Samiullah Farooqui at Jamma Masjid Namak Mandi on Wednesday, the ulema also condemned the government’s move to send Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai abroad ahead of the moon-sighting in Peshawar.
The meeting was held after parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa once again observed Eidul Fitr a day before the rest of the country.
“We will always support Masjid Qasim Ali Khan and Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai,” the scholars announced unanimously. The demanded the federal government explain why and under what law was Mufti Popalzai ‘forcefully expelled’ from the country, and bring the cleric back.
Declaring the central Ruet-e-Hilal committee ‘illegal’, the Peshawar ulema urged the federal government to constitute a new one and to implement recommendations of the relevant Senate committee on the matter.
They also constituted an ‘ulema action committee’ under Maulana Kherul Bashar’s leadership and announced they would observe a day of ‘condemnation’ on Friday to express solidarity with Popalzai.
Religious clerics from Peshawar have declared the central Ruet-e-Hilal committee ‘illegal and unconstitutional’, and urged the federal government to reconstitute it after taking all religious scholars of the country on board.
At a meeting chaired by Maulana Samiullah Farooqui at Jamma Masjid Namak Mandi on Wednesday, the ulema also condemned the government’s move to send Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai abroad ahead of the moon-sighting in Peshawar.
The meeting was held after parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa once again observed Eidul Fitr a day before the rest of the country.
“We will always support Masjid Qasim Ali Khan and Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai,” the scholars announced unanimously. The demanded the federal government explain why and under what law was Mufti Popalzai ‘forcefully expelled’ from the country, and bring the cleric back.
Declaring the central Ruet-e-Hilal committee ‘illegal’, the Peshawar ulema urged the federal government to constitute a new one and to implement recommendations of the relevant Senate committee on the matter.
They also constituted an ‘ulema action committee’ under Maulana Kherul Bashar’s leadership and announced they would observe a day of ‘condemnation’ on Friday to express solidarity with Popalzai.