For first time, Eidul Fitr to be celebrated on three dates in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The country will remember former science and technology minister Fawad Chaudhry as the nationals will celebrate Eidul Fitr on three different dates in different parts of Pakistan on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday respectively.

The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC) has announced to celebrate Eidul Fitr on May 3, Tuesday, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) will celebrate the first day of Eid on Monday (today) at the government level and in North Waziristan district’s Haider Khel village, the locals had celebrated the festival on Sunday.

Yesterday, the RHC chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad chaired the central moon sighting committee’s meeting in Islamabad, whereas, the zonal committee meetings were held in the provincial capitals including Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. The meetings were also attended by the members of the religious ministry, SUPARCO, Met department and science ministry.

While addressing a press conference, Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad said that there was clear weather in most areas of the country, however, no evidence was found for a crescent sighting.

The Met department had already predicted no moon sighting of Shawwal moon on Sunday evening.

KP govt’s Eid celebrations

On the other hand, Eid-ul-Fitr is being celebrated at the official level in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) today and KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan will offer a special prayer of Eid at Governor House Peshawar.

CM’s aide Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif announced that the KP government will celebrate the Eidul Fitr on May 2 in light of the evidence of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan.

Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai

On Sunday evening, the non-government moon sighting committee sat at Masjid Qasim Ali Shah whose chairman Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai announced to receive evidence of the crescent and asked people to celebrate Eidul Fitr on Monday.

A statement issued by Masjid Qasim Ali Khan said, “The moon of Shawwal has appeared, so the first Shawwal and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Monday, May 2, 2022. Happy Eid-ul-Fitr to all of you.”

In KP, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is the ruling party, whereas, Imran Khan had shown a lack of confidence in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif-led government in the Centre. The political motives behind celebrating Eidul Fitr by the KP government on a different date could not be ruled out.

Former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry was of the view that the dispute of Eid on separate dates in the country could be resolved only through using modern technology.

Later, due to differences between Mufti Muneebur Rehman and Fawad Chaudhry, the former chairman of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee (RHC) was removed from his post while Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad was appointed as the new RHC chairman.