Forging consensus on Ramadan crescent moon foremost priority: Ashrafi

ISLAMABAD: Evolving consensus on same day start of Ramazan across the country was the first and foremost priority of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Special Aide to Prime Minister on Religious Harmony and Middle East Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi said Sunday.

Talking to Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Ashrafi, who is also Chairman Pakistan Ulema Council (PUC), said all available resources would be provided to the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to make sure celebration of Eid and start of Ramadan across the country on same day.

Ashrafi said Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Noor-ul-Haq Qadri is in coordination with all respective stakeholders in this regard.

Terming Ruet-e-Hilal Committee’s decision of holding its meeting in Peshawar for Ramazan crescent moon sighting in the right direction, Ashrafi hoped that the complaints of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ulema regarding crescent moon sighting would be resolved.

He said the meeting of Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in Peshawar will prove a positive step in the right direction by same day start of Ramazan-ul-Mubarak.

Ashrafi said Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad is an independent and capable scholar and pinned hopes that he will overcome the difficulties and ambiguities relating moon sighting controversies in the country.

Both Ashrafi and Khabir Azad vowed uniting the nation, and taking every decision in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah with assistance of scientific knowledge and testimony.

He urged the Hilal Committee to decide about sighting of crescent moon with the assistance of modern scientific knowledge and in accordance with the provisions of Islamic law.

Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad, Central Chairman Ruwit-e-Hilal committee said that he will fulfill the trust and confidence placed in him by Prime Minister Imran Khan and the nation and decide the sighting of the moon in the light of Qur'an and Sunnah.

He also underlined that the purpose for holding the meeting of the Ruwit-e-Hilal Committee in Peshawar is also to ensure that no one gets a chance to complain.