Fawad Chaudhry forms committee to finalize lunar calendar for next five years

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has formed a committee to finalize the lunar calendar for next five years, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

According to an office memorandum available with ARY  News, Fawad Chaudhry formed a committee to finalize calendar and indicate the exact dates of Ramadan, Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha and Moharram for the next five years “with 100% accuracy”.

Ministry’s scientific adviser Muhammad Tariq Masood will lead the five-member committee with three meteorology department officials and one SUPARCO ( Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission) official.

It is pertinent to note here that just two days ago, Chaudhry took to Twitter to criticise what he termed  disputes which emerge every time when religious scholars sit for moon sighting before a new month of the Islamic calendar.

Chaudhry was of the view that latest technology can predict the whole calendar so we should not waste money on older methods.

#StatementOnMoonSight pic.twitter.com/o8u4G2ItkF

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) May 5, 2019

Chairman Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneebur Rehman, however, took strong exception on the minister’s comments and had warned that ministers with no knowledge of religion should not be allowed to comment upon such matters.