Official, private moon sighting bodies unify on Eid

PESHAWAR: The official and local private moon sighting committees on Thursday unanimously announced that the Shawwal moon had not been sighted and hence Eidul Fitr would be celebrated on Saturday.

The private committee headed by Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of historic Masjid Mahabat Ali Khan normally announces moon sighting and observance of Eid a day earlier than the central committee.

However, this year both the committees were unanimous both on the start of Ramazan and Eidul Fitr. Making his announcement, Mufti Popalzai said that the private committee had received only one testimony from Sarai Naurang and two from Hangu, which were not enough for declaring Eidul Fitr for Friday.

Therefore, he said, there would be the 30th of Ramazan on Friday and Eidul Fitre would be observed on Saturday. The official Ruet-e-Hilal Committee met separately under the chairmanship of Maulana Dr Hafiz Abdul Ghafoor. It also announced that the Shawwal moon had not been sighted.

However, in some areas of North Waziristan and Mardan district some local clerics accepted the testimonies of a few individuals who had claimed having sighted the crescent. They declared that the festival would be marked on Friday.