Mufti Abdul Shakoor, the Federal Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony, has announced that Eid ul Fitr will be celebrated on the same day across Pakistan this year.
Mufti Abdul Shakoor has stated that he will review the evidence of the Shawwal moon sighting in order to ensure that Eid is observed on the same day throughout the country.
The minister told Samaa TV that he hoped the moon sighting would not cause any problem this year.
The religious affairs minister responded to a query by saying that around 81,000 Pakistanis will perform Hajj this year. He insisted that they will work to improve the Hajj operation system in order to make pilgrims’ lives easier.
It’s worth noting that the Shawwal moon-sighting dispute has been tarnishing the delights of Eidul Fitr in Pakistan for numerous years now.
The religious cleric Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, who heads an unauthorised committee at Peshawar’s ancient Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, frequently opposes the decisions of Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
He takes his decision on his own, which causes confusion among the crowd.
Due to contradicting reports of moon sightings last year, the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee delayed many hours to make its conclusion on the Shawwal moon.
The moon conflict is not new in Pakistan, and it has long been a source of contention. It took a new turn in recent years with the publication of an app by the science ministry, led by then-Minister Fawad Chauhdry, which enraged clergy who accused him of interfering in exclusively religious matters.
To reduce the disputes, the previous government removed Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman and appointed Maulana Muhammad Abdul Khabir Azad as chairman of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
