By Siraj Shawa
In order to do away with the perennial controversy regarding moon-sighting, Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee (CRHC) was established via national assembly resolution in 1974. Soon it proved to be a failed attempt as the people of FATA and KP at large kept on with their old tradition of early Eid celebrations.
Joining of CRHC by the current chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman in 1997 didn’t bode well for solving the moon-sighting conflict. In 1999 he and Maulna Muhammad Yusuf Qureshi locked horns as the latter alleged that Mufti sahib had rejected legitimate testimonies from KP. Since then, moon-sighting looks more like a battle of egos. In this regard two muftis (Mufti Muneeb & Mufti Popalzai) are at loggerheads with each other and such disputes arise every year. Both of them are averse to conciliation in this regard.
The controversy is not inter-sectarian in its nature but an inter-provincial one. People follow Popalzai Sahib in KP, while rest of country sticks to CRHC rulings irrespective of their religious affiliations. This arises many complications for a common man. Many people couldn’t make it to their homes on time because of public transport problems at places where Eid is celebrated a day earlier. People of KP employed in other parts of the country miss to join their families on time as usually they get a working day at their offices and simultaneously Eid-day at their hometowns. All this sounds hilarious.
Popalzai’s independent committee can’t be justified nor the stubbornness with which he operates it. Although he showed some flexibility this year, his later talks with media implied that he wouldn’t co-operate in future because he was not taken into confidence before announcing Ramazan moon-sighting.
Popalzai’s obstinacy aside, the person at the realms of CRHC affairs is also not less adamant. Mufti Muneeb has been the chairman of CRHC for last 15 years although his moral credentials are questionable. Witnesses from KP are allegedly looked down upon by him and their testimonies are mostly not considered. Still his tenure is unprecedented in the history of CRHC. This arises many questions in one’s mind.
If the tenure of chairman is three years then why the current chairman has been serving since 2001. Isn’t CRHC, which was formed to do away with moon-sighting controversies, itself part of such disputes? Till when two (sometimes three) Eids will be observed in our one country?
The government should do legislation & frame rules and regulations for the functioning of CRHC which it could not draft since its inception in 1974. Only then CRHC will get a legal and constitutional status. Tenures of chairmen and members are needed to be fixed. Controversial figures should be barred from becoming the head. Meetings on special occasions such as Ramazan and Eids should not be dissolved soon, so that maximum witnesses are reached out. There should be no discrimination in dealing witnesses based on their ethnicity.
These are the occasions of happiness conferred upon us by God. Why mar all the happiness by dissent and ridiculous reasoning. Let’s send the message of unity, love, and cooperation to the world. For which there is a dire need to make a mechanism that results in observance of Eid and Ramazan on same day in the entire country.
The writer tweets at @ThisIsSiraj