PESHAWAR: minister for Information Shaukat Yousafzai has suggested to the government to appoint Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai as chairman of the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to end the controversy concerning Moon-sighting and division in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over the observance of Ramazan and Eidul Fitr.“In my personal opinion, Mufti Popalzai should be given a chance to lead the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee so that he could play his role to serve the nation,” he said. He added that he would request the Committee chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman to take rest as he had already served the nation a lot.He also proposed changing other members of the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. The minister appreciated the efforts of Federal minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry to resolve the Moon-sighting issue and said he can also be included in the Committee for better results.He said the Muslims throughout the world started fasting and celebrate Eid on the same day but it was painful to note that the faithful in Pakistan stood divided over the observance of Ramazan and Eidul Fitr every year.The minister said that people of Malakand and Hazara divisions and also the southern districts observed Ramazan and celebrated Eid with the federal government based on the announcement made by the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee but most people in Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi and some tribal districts followed the decision of the private Moon-sighting Committee headed by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai.He noted that at times the decisions of Mufti Popalzai about timing of Moon-sighting were found to be correct.Pointing out that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a small province in the federation, Shaukat Yousafzai said that nobody had paid attention to resolving the Moon-sighting issue. “If Mufti Popalzai and his colleagues are able to sight the moon in time after receiving credible witnesses he should be given a chance to lead the central Committee and bring changes in it for the unity of the Muslims,” the KP information minister maintained.He said the government should take a correct decision to end the Moon-sighting controversy. “In my opinion, the appointment of Mufti Popalzai as chairman of central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee would be the best solution. He should be given a chance to set things right,” the minister argued. It may be added that the Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai-led private Ruet-e-Hilal Committee would be meeting at the Masjid Qasim Ali Khan in Peshawar late Monday to receive witnesses accompanied by local clerics who have sighted the moon before making decision about the moon-sighting. However, the official central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee headed by Mufti Muneebur Rahman would be holding its meeting on Tuesday to sight the moon.
06-04-2019, 08:33 PM
Moon-sighting controversy: KP minister wants Mufti Popalzai to head Ruet Committee
العرض الشجري