PESHAWAR: Eidul Fitr was celebrated in most parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the adjoining Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) on Sunday following unofficial moon-sighting committees’ announcements of the sighting of the Shawwal moon at several places.
Eid congregations were held at the Central mosques in Peshawar, Mardan, Swabi, Charsadda, Nowshera, Bannu, and Fata. Tight security measures were taken on the occasion and police personnel were deployed at mosques to avoid any untoward incident.
Unofficial moon sighting committee of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan in Peshawar made the announcement on Saturday as 50 evidences of moon sighting were received from different parts of KP.
Even with its lead cleric, Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai, missing from the country, Peshawar’s Masjid Qasim Khan took lead from the rest of the country in announcing the end of Ramazan on Saturday, and declaring Eid on Sunday (today).
“The committee checked, verified and found 46 out of 50 testimonies of moon-sighting as valid under Islamic Shariah… and so the first of Shawwal will fall on Sunday (today) in the country,” committee member Qari Samiullah Jan announced.
He added that 99 per cent of the testimonies were received from Peshawar and its suburbs. He alleged that the government was pressuring the local committee not to gather for moon sighting which “is not a mature approach”.
