Mufti Muneeb hits back at Fawad on moon controversy

KARACHI: Mufti Muneeb, Chairman Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, has advised Federal Minister for Science and Technology Chaudhry Fawad Hussain to refrain from commenting on religious matters.

The statement from the religious scholar came after the minister's announcement that a five-member committee had been constituted to prepare a ten-year calendar for Muharram, Eids and Ramadan to end dispute arising from sighting of crescent.

Mufti Muneeb was talking to media persons at the Karachi Met Office, where he was chairing the meeting for Ramadan moon sighting. ‘The minister is unaware of the system and if he is interested, we can make a 100-year lunar calendar for him.’

He advised Fawad to not distort Pakistan's history and asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to instruct his ministers the same. The minister must know that the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s meeting is held at Metrological Department.

In a tweet on Sunday, Fawad said the lunar calendar would be promulgated in the country after getting federal cabinet’s approval.

He said the committee would consist of members from Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), Meteorological Department and Science and Technology and they would start working from next week.