Divided opinion: K-P celebrates Eid amid pockets of defiance
While the rest of the country celebrates Eidul Fitr today, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa remained divided, with much of the province celebrating on Sunday – and with others in the province refusing to go against the Central Moon-sighting Committee’s decision.
Chief Minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti, Awami National Party Chairman Asfandyar Wali and Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain offered Eid prayers at the Chief Minister Secretariat.
Conspicuously, with the exception of government officials, people in Swat and Dera Ismail Khan refused to celebrate Eid on Sunday.
In Mingora, the announcement to observe Eid on Sunday was made by the office of district coordination officer. Elsewhere in Swat district, the announcement was made by police.
But after the announcement, Ulema in various areas denounced the decision and urged people to celebrate Eid on Monday with the rest of the country.
Condemning the provincial government’s announcement of celebrating Eid on Sunday, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Swat chapter General Secretary Qari Shamsur Rehman Khalil said, “We are committed to following the announcement of the Central Moon-sighting Committee and not the provincial committee, so we will celebrate Eid with the central government.”
Residents in certain areas of Peshawar also refused to celebrate Eid on Sunday, including in Peshawar Cantonment, Defence Colony, Shami Road, Yakatot, Gulbahar, Nishtarabad, Bilal Town and some parts of Dalazak Road.
The people of Hazara also stuck to a decades-old tradition of celebrating Eid in accordance with the announcement made by the Central Moon-sighting Committee, including even some Pashto-speaking areas.
“This is not the first time the clerics in Charsadda, Mardan, Bannu and Peshawar have misled the people in their areas,” said Qari Abdul Khaliq, a local religious leader.
However, Afghan refugees living in camps in Haripur and Mansehra districts observed Eidul Fitr with Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
In DI Khan, the Millat e Jafria and Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat celebrated Eid on the outskirts of the city. Eid was celebrated on Sunday in Kohat, Hangu, Mardan, Swabi, Buner, Upper and Lower Dir, Kurram, Orakzai, Jamrud, Bara, Landi Kotal, Charsadda, Mohmand, Bajaur and South Waziristan.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2012.
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i am from dera ismail khan, and here only shias and barelvis followed ruet-e-hilal. else we all celebrated with Pashtunkhwa government and masjid qasim ali khan.
I feel sorry for the people of KP who missed one precious day of fasting of the Holy month of Ramadan.
@Dilbar jahan, Firstly, In confideration, provinces go by the center, and we all know that our beloved KPK is a province of Pakistan, and Pakistan is not the province of KPK
Secondly, in the central Royat-e-Hallal Committee, the Ulmas from all the sects were there, including Deobandi, a predominent number of people are Deobandis in KPK, and there was no even a one who showed any defiance or disagreement during central Royat-e-hallal meeting. Thirdly, even not only the center and rest of the provinces, but also in KPK, the residents defected from the decision of provincial government, as some celebrated eid on Saturday, some on Sunday and some on Monday. Now lets not circumscribe ourselves to Pakistan, and lets have a look at Bangladesh, India and neighbouring countries, where no sighted the cresent. Lastly would you or your provincial government like to share the technology/method of sighting cresent, so that the whole Ummah couldbe benefited? Under the ANP'Z government,It is the first time since the existance of Pakistan that there are two official eids celebrated. My friend apparently you seem to be an educated person, please try to find that why the problem always comes during Eidul fitar? For the rest of the Islamic Calender, you and we follow central Hallal committee, and no one claims to sight cresent of the other islamic months,but in Shawal some KPK ulemas start receiving evidences? I would appreciate your rational behaviour. With due love and repect to you and KPK GOVERNMENT Jaza Allah O Khair
Speaks volumes of how scattered and strained a nation we are, can't blame one and let other be bally rag, both parties earn the blame equally !
Why a joke? They are trying to be diverse !!!
@ET: No mention of Chitral..?? It really deserved honorable mention for its patriotic inhabitants have always gone with the center and they have continued their tradition!!!
only 6 people saw the moon in a city of millions of people.Something which the Ruet-i-hilal could not see with high quality telescopes and astronomical help.
Seems really fishy to me. Even if 15-20 people saw the moon It would have been believable but just 6 in a densely populated area??
Anyways people over there have to do eid before the rest of the country whether the moon comes out or not. So be it.
@Haris Chaudhry: In North America, Muslims held Eid over three days - Saturday, Sunday and even Monday! Therte seems to be no consensus here either!
LOL. Who needs soap operas when we can have all this drama?
How if someone says: "Pakistan decides to celebrate Eid on Monday 'amid defiance' in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa?" "Central Moon-sighting Committee announced to celebrate Eid on Monday with people in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province 'refusing to go against' their zonal Moon-sighting Committee's decision?" ET watch your language! Words and the construction of sentences can compromise objectivity.
The mullahs in North Waziristan and Peshawar treat the science and Godless scientists with great contempt. This is not in Pakistan alone. During the dark age of Europe, the church used to treat the scientists not only with similar contempt; it also used to punish those who would insist on natural laws; the ones which were beyond the comprehension of the priests. The Peshawar mullahs have yet again lived to their decades-old tradition and have insisted on sighting the Shawwal moon which according to scientists was not possible to sight even with sophisticated gadgetry like telescopes, what to talk of naked eye. But it seems that mullahs are fitted with such God-gifted powerful lenses that they can spot anything in the universe. The developed countries who spend billions on space research should consider using the powers of these mullahs. Read more at: http://passivevoices.wordpress.com/2012/08/19/moon-sighting-controversy-mullahs-rubbish-the-scientists-once-again/
Frankly , this is the reason ANP cannot be trusted and why changing name from NWFP to KPK was a crime against Pakistan.
Why are you muslims making a joke out of your own religion?
Unity of UMMAH.. in full view of Pakistanis and the world !!!
Ha.. :)