This is a rejoinder to Mr M. A. Niazi's article on the issue published on September 25, 2009. This year again, the NWFP, under aegis of the ANP, has maintained the tradition of celebrating Eid on a day other than the rest of Pakistan. ANP has challenged the writ of government, shall we say on gunpoint, and managed to encash some political chips by exploiting the provincial, or the so-called Punjabi-Pathan issue. It was really disturbing to see that even ulemas of the NWFP backed ANP in creating the moon fiasco again. But the rest of the whole country started fasting on one day after seeing the genuine moon of Ramdhan and celebrated the Eid on the same day too. This shows the majority has followed the Ruet obligatory for fasting and Eid. ANP's stance is totally absurd and baseless. They wanted to show off their political strength in NWFP as they are out of the political scene in rest of the country. But they have chosen the wrong occasion and the wrong pretext. What the ANP intellectuals have to realise is that scientifically, geographically, according to time zones and as per moon phases, we just cannot celebrate the Eid with Saudi Arabia. It is as simple as that. Secondly, I think the ANP leaders have no right to denigrate Mufti. Munib-ur-Rehman's authority. We should have some respect for ulemas. Unfortunately, every one in this country deems himself an expert on religion. In my opinion Prime Minister should have put his foot down on the issue and ensured that the issue is resolved without any hard feelings. -NAVEED MAHMOOD, Rawalpindi, September 25.