Eid to be celebrated across Pakistan on Sunday as Shawwal moon sighted.

Chairman Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneebur Rehman on Saturday announced the sighting of the moon for the month of Shawwal, saying Eidul Fitr will be celebrated across Pakistan on Sunday.

He made the announcement at a press conference after chairing a lengthy meeting of the committee held in Karachi.

Separate meetings of zonal Ruet committees were also held at their respective regional headquarters.

Rehman said the committee received multiple testimonies of moon-sighting including from Chaman, Pasni and various other places.

He added that the judgement of testimonies received from areas where the moon was expected to be sighted took "quite a lot of time".

The Ruet committee chairman said the moon sighted today was "very sensitive" and therefore the body had focused on the southern areas where it was expected to be spotted.

After the body deliberated upon the matter, it was decided that the crescent has been sighted and "Eidul Fitr will be celebrated tomorrow, May 24."

Speaking about the precautions that people should observe on Eid in view of the coronavirus pandemic, Rehman said the guidelines issued by medical experts should be followed because the virus can be transmitted due to close contact.

He recommended that people exchange verbal greetings after offering Eid prayers and avoid hugging or shaking hands.

Earlier in the day, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had said that Eidul Fitr will be celebrated in the country tomorrow (Sunday), citing calculations made by his ministry.

Asked about the minister's announcement, Mufti Rehman said: "Fawad Chaudhry has no standing. We are bound to the shariat."

He added that Chaudhry "should not interfere in [matters of] religion" and demanded of the prime minister to stop him from doing so.

"He (Chaudhry) had said that we will send the first Pakistani to the moon by 2022; perhaps he should focus on that," he said, adding that the minister should also fulfil his pledge to carry out mass production and export of quality ventilators.

"But he should not target the religion due to some of his deprivations and disappointments."

Rehman said the committee "strongly condemns" Chaudhry for interfering in matters of religion. "Fawad Chaudhry should be bound to keep himself limited to his ministry," the mufti said, adding that due to some "unknown issues within the government", various members of the cabinet pursued their own directions.

Rehman also said deciding matters...