By Muhammad Luqman
Pakistan’s Ministry of Science and Technology has announced to develop a mobile app to have people sight the new moon of Islamic calender months especially Ramadan and Shawal without becoming prey to any controversy.
” We have invited religious scholars to become a part of the committe formed to a prepare a five year lunar calender,” Science and Technology Minister , Fawad Chaudhary said.
He hoped that the lunar Calendar will be prepared till 15th of Ramdhan.
The committee will be comprising representatives from the Ministry of Science and Technology, COMSATS University of Islamabad, two officials of Meteorology Department and Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO), according to a notification issued by the Ministry.
The committee would determine the exact dates of Ramadan, Eid-ul-Fitr, Eid-ul-Azha and Muharram for the next five years with 100 percent accuracy through technology.
The committee has been formed to end disputes related to crescent sightings, the minister said.
In Pakistan, the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is entrusted with the sighting of the moon of Islamic cander months. But due to lack of consensus among the members of the Central commitee and certain uleme of north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, there have been moon sighting related controversies almost every year.
” The use of technology will help end such controversies,” hoped Science and Technology Minister.
