Fawad Ch mum as Ruet-e-Hilal Committee meets for Muharram moon-sighting

Although the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee is scheduled to meet Thursday evening for the moon-sighting of Muharram, the actual news is that Federal Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has so far been silent on the issue.

The committee led by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman will meet in Karachi after Maghrib prayers at the Met Office. 

Fawad has always been a very focal supporter of using science to determine the accurate time and date of the sighting moon. He wants to bin the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and follow the calendar formulated with precision by scientists.

But his focus on the two Eids and Ramazan only raises a very serious question. Why no enthusiasm for the remaining nine months? After all he should be out there to promote and argue his case 12 times a year. So why isn’t he telling us in advance about the Muharram moon?

Perhaps it is because of the fact that the federal minister had taken credit for the single Eidul Fitr in Pakistan but then his predictions and assessments about Eidul Azha were ruined by the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. Or maybe he just wants some self promotion on important occasions only.

As per calender of @MinistryofST Eid-Al-Adha shall be celebrated on Fiday,31st July 2020. On 21st July ZeAlHaj moon shall be visible over Karachi and it’s peripheral areas, “Ruet”App may also be used to ascertain exact location of the moon. #Eid

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 15, 2020

ذُوالحجہ1441 ہجری کے چاند کی پیدائش (Birth of New Moon) پاکستان کے معیاری وقت کے مطابق رات 10:33 پر ہو چکی ہے. آج 21 جولائی کو پاکستان میں کراچی اور گرد و نواح کے مطلع میں چاند نظر آجائیگا، ہاں اگر بادل ہیں Ruet App ڈاؤن لوڈ کریں بالکل صحیح مقام دیکھیں

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) July 21, 2020

Earlier, he had promised to establish moon observatories in Gwadar and Islamabad so that there is no confusion on the issue.

https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry/status/1264541187521863684     

But his well-known affair with the moon triggers mistakes too. Earlier on June 19, he captioned an image containing the details of the solar eclipse a lunar eclipse, saying more information about the lunar eclipse.

چاند گرہن کے متعلق مزید معلومات pic.twitter.com/3betuh3agy

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 19, 2020

So more questions: Does his silence on the Moharram moon is a result of the failure on the occasion of Eidul Azha? Or is it an attempt to control his tendency of creating controversies? Or has he been silenced by someone?

Only God knows what the reason is. We can only guess. However, you are free to make judgement on the issues. After all, we are the citizens of a democratic country.