Fawad makes strong case for using tech to settle Eid moon issue.

Byline: Jamal Shahid

ISLAMABAD -- Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, who again triggered a controversy over moon sighting by declaring that Eidul Fitr would be celebrated in the country on Sunday (today) even before the announcement of the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee on Saturday, said that successive governments had always tried to accommodate sectarian issues into affairs of the state.

'This cannot be so. The state is above controversies and sectarian issues. The state does not favour groups but runs its affairs according to the law and constitution of the country,' the minister said at press briefing which he had called to announce Eid on Sunday.

He said that because of such practice, sectarian groups had become strong and imposed their say in the matters of the state.

'In various matters, including the issue of moon sighting, sectarianism prevails though logic, law and science and technology should be consulted and given priority,' he said.

He said that while Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai had announced moon sighting separately from the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, the government had realised that moon sighting was no longer difficult anywhere in the world.

'Islam is a forward-looking religion and encourages its followers to acquire knowledge, adopt technology and apply logic. We dismiss contrary opinions that discourage adopting science for progress,' he said.

The minister said it was the government's intention to settle the controversy surrounding moon sighting for Eidul Fitr and for this purpose a committee of experts such as space scientists and mathematicians, officials of Meteorology...