Peshawar’s Mufti Popalzai announces Eid on Thursday
Claims 23 people appeared before committee to record testimonies
Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai has announced that Peshawar will celebrate Eid on Thursday, May 13.
The unofficial Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan has announced Wednesday that the moon of Shawwal was sighted in several areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A meeting of the unofficial committee chaired by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai was held at Peshawar’s Masjid Qasim Ali Khan.
Mufti Popalzai claimed that 23 people personally appeared before the committee to record their testimonies.
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee hasn’t received any testimonies
The meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee on Shawwal moon sighting is still underway in Islamabad.
Its chairman Maulana Abdul Khabeer Azad told reporters that his committee has so far received no testimonies of moon sighting.
He urged media not to air unverified news and spread misinformation.
Eid to be celebrated on May 14, says Fawad
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting of Pakistan, Fawad Chaudhry had tweeted that Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated in Pakistan on Friday, May 14.
The minister had based his prediction according to the Ruet app and the calendar. However, Chaudhry had clarified in the same tweet that the final decision in this regard will be announced by the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
The information minister said the moon will appear on May 13 and Eid will fall on May 14, according to the calendar and the moon sighting app.
Eid on Friday, predicts PMD
A day earlier, the Meteorological Department had said that Pakistan would observe Eid-ul-Fitr on Friday, as there was “no chance” of citing the Shawwal moon on May 12, Wednesday.
If the moon is not sighted on Wednesday — Ramadan 29 — then the holy month would extend to 30 days, and the festival of Eid will be celebrated on May 14 — Friday.
With input from Agencies