Eid to be celebrated tomorrow: Ruet-e-Hilal Committee

ISLAMABAD: Once again, separate days have been fixed for Eid ul Fitr as the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee announced that the Eid will be celebrated on Tuesday while the occasion is being observed in parts of KP and tribal areas on Monday.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee said on Sunday, “The moon for the month of Shawwal was not sighted in Pakistan. Consequently, the country will celebrate the first day of Eidul Fitr on Tuesday, May 3.

The main meeting of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was held at the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony in Islamabad with Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad in the chair, while the zonal committees met in their respective areas to sight the Shawwal crescent.

The moon, however, could not be sighted anywhere in the country. “It was decided through consensus that Eid will be observed on May 3 across the country,” said Maulana Azad in a press conference after the moon was not sighted.

At the time of the sighting, the age of the moon was 17 hours, and, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD), the age of the moon must be 19 hours in order to sight it. The PMD had previously said that there were no chances of the Shawwal moon being sighted Sunday due to unsuitable weather conditions.

Meanwhile, South Waziristan in Pakistan and Afghanistan are celebrating Eid on Monday (today) after sighting the Shawwal moon. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced to celebrate Eidul Fitr officially on Monday (today).

Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information and Public Relations Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif announced the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf provincial government’s decision, arguing that 130 testimonies of Shawaal moon sighting have been received from various parts of KP and hence the festival would be marked officially on Monday.

Some private news channels reported that KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan would offer the Eidul Fitr prayers on the lawn of the Governor’s House along with other cabinet members today.

Earlier, the private moon sighting committee headed by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai announced the sighting of Shawwal moon and declared that Eidul Fitr would be marked on Monday.

He made the announcement at a time when the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee led by Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad had announced that the Shawwal moon had not been sighted in any part of the country and hence the festival would be celebrated on Tuesday, May 3.

The meeting of the private moon sighting committee was held under Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai at the historic Qasim Ali Khan mosque and attended by other religious scholars. People from different parts of the district and elsewhere in the province appeared before the committee and claimed having sighted the crescent.

A number of testimonies were received by telephone from various parts of the province. Mufti Popalzai declared Eidul Fitr for Monday after examining the testimonies. Subsequent announcements were made through loudspeakers from other mosques.

Several districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa follow Masjid Qasim Ali Khan in celebrating Eid. However, a number of districts celebrate Eid with the federal government. In the provincial metropolis, the people living in the old city and cantonment celebrate the festival with the federal government while those in the rest of the district follow Masjid Qasim Ali Khan. Most people of Peshawar Valley and tribal districts follow Masjid Qasim Ali Khan while those in Hazara and Malakand divisions celebrate Eid with the federal government.