PESHAWAR - On federal government’s formal request the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has promised full cooperation to begin the holy month of Ramazan on the same day cross the whole country, sources said Friday.
Except the last year, the very first year of the PTI government in the province, KPK people – particularly of the central districts of Mardan, Charsadda, Swabi, Peshawar and Nowshera – have been for years following the announcements made by Masjid Qasim Ali Khan about the commencement of Ramazan and Eidul Fitr.
With the efforts made by both federal and provincial governments, last year it was ensured to observe the first Ramazan on the same day. To have this unanimity this year too, the federal government has written to the provincial government, officials said. They confirmed that provincial government has received a letter from the central government. KPK religious affairs minister Habibul Rehman, who belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) in the PTI led coalition govet, said the federal government has asked for cooperation and requested KPK not to start Ramazan a day before the rest of the country.
The minister quoted the federal government as saying "let us have the first Ramazan on the same day". The provincial government, he said, is willing to cooperate for a unanimous decision. The minister said that efforts were underway to take ulema of different sects on board on the matter and that's why the provincial government has convened the Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal committee on Saturday (today).
CENTRAL RUET-E-HILAL
COMMITTEE MEETS TODAY
Online adds: A meeting of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will be held in Karachi on 29th of Shaban-ul-Moazzam today for sighting the crescent of Ramazanul Mubarak. The meeting will be presided over by its Chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman.  All Zonal Ruet-e-Hilal Committees will also meet at their respective headquarters for the sighting of the crescent.
Meanwhile, Chief Meteorologist Mohammad Riaz said that the holy month of Ramadan will start on June 30 (Monday). Talking to a private TV channel, Riaz said it is less likely that the moon will be sighted on June 28 (today). According to meteorological department, there are limited chances that the moon will be sighted in the coastal areas of Balochistan on Saturday (today); however the chances for moon sighting are bleak due to the bad weather.