Advisory body formed in J&K to verify moonsighting claims on Ramazan, Eid

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Srinagar, February 23

The Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir, Mufti Nasir ul Islam, on Thursday announced the formation of an advisory committee, with himself as head and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq as its member to verify the moon sighting claims for the holy month of Ramazan and Eid ul Fitr.

According to a statement issued by the Grand Mufti, the advisory committee has been constituted to “delve and decide on the credibility of the witnesses received regarding sighting of upcoming Holy Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr crescent in Jammu and Kashmir.”

“Besides Mirwaiz Kashmir Moulvi Umar Farooq, the other top scholars part of the committee include Maulvi Rehmatullah Mir Qasmi of Dar Ul Uloom Raheemiya; Maulvi Ghulam Rasool Haami of Karwaan-e-Islam International; and Hujjat-ul-Islam Agha Hassan Al-mousvi Al-safavi.

The statement stated that the committee was constituted to avoid any confusion among people of Jammu and Kashmir over differing views on sighting of the Ramadan moon as happened last year. The Grand Mufti said the committee has been exclusively constituted by the Muslim Personal Law Board.

The statement has provided a list of the members, who have been asked to remain in constant touch with each other. “Once any witness, Ruet, is received, the members are supposed to testify the reliability and if deemed proper, they are to accordingly share and convey it to the Grand Mufti or any member of the committee.”

Traditionally, the people of Kashmir look to the decisions of Pakistan’s Ruet-e-Hilal Committee to observe the Ramadan fast and celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.