Fawad invites clerics to see 'how moon cycle works'

Science ministry developing a lunar calendar

Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry on Monday invited renowned clerics Mufti Muneebur Rehman and Shahabuddin Popalzai to see "how the moon cycle works".

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"We are inviting Maulana Muneebur Rehman and Shahabuddin Popalzai to come and witness how the moon cycle works," wrote Fawad. "And see for themselves how easy science has made it to predict the lunar calendar. There is no need for an arduous task."

مولانا منیب الرحمن اور شہاب الدین پوپلزئ کو دعوت بھجوا رہے ہیں کہ وہ تشریف لائیں اور خود دیکھیں کہ چاند کیسے گردش کرتا ہے اور سائنسی طور پر کیوں یہ انتہائ آسان ہے کہ چاند کے اصل مقام کا تعین ہو سکتا ہے اور اس کیلئے بہت پاپڑ بیلنے کی ضرورت نہیں ۔۔

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 20, 2019

Since assuming office as the minister for science and technology, Fawad has been pushing for using science for the Islamic calendar and doing away with the traditional moon sighting method used by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

Fawad has been critical of using old methods instead of new technology. Recently, the National Assembly was informed that an amount of Rs3.06 million was spent on the sighting of the moon for Muharram, Ramazan, Eidul Fitr and Eidul Azha in 2018.

یہ فیصلہ کہ ملک کیسے چلنا ہے مولانا پر نہیں چھوڑا جا سکتا، اس رو سے پاکستان کا قیام ہی عمل میں نہ آتا کیونکہ تمام بڑے علماء تو پاکستان کے قیام کے مخالف تھے اور جناح صاحب کو کافر آعظم کہتے تھے، آگے کا سفر مولویوں نے نہیں نوجوانوں نے کرنا ہے اور ٹیکنالوجی ہی قوم کو آگے لیجا سکتی ہے https://t.co/HEXcJVWfTW

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 5, 2019

Earlier this month, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) minister formed a five-member committee comprising officials from the ministry, Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco) and Pakistan Meteorological Department.

Ministry of Science n Tech Committee to resolve #moonsighting controversy constituted pic.twitter.com/LknTHNOsOe

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 7, 2019

The committee was tasked to prepare a lunar calendar and publish it by the 15th of Ramazan.

Speaking at an event at Karachi University, he said the ministry was also working on a mobile phone app that will enable people to sight the moon on their devices.