PESHAWAR - For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the federal government and central Ruet-e-Hilal committee have hinted to accept the witnesses of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aimed to observe fasting on same day throughout the country.

Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf met Mufti Shahabuddin Populzai, Chief of Qasim Ali Khan Masjid, in Peshawar to deliberate on the issue.

KP Minister for Religious Affairs Haji Habibur Rehman, Chairman Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Munibur Rehman and other ulema attended the consultative meeting. The meeting took important decisions about the procedure of moon-sighting and evidences in this regard.

Many people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA observe Ramazan and Eid according to the announcement of Mufti Shahabuddin Populzai of Qasim Ali Khan Mosque instead of following the official Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.

The Islamic months of Ramazan and Shawal often begin in these areas a day ahead of the rest of the country.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly has already passed a resolution few days ago for making the announcement of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee binding on the other unofficial moon-sighting committees. Efforts are underway to bring consensus on this important issue of national interest as earlier to this the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee had not been accepting the witnesses of moon sighting in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which had raised many questions in the minds of people regarding the performance of central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.