ISLAMABAD: The government is engaging with top religious leaders and scholars to reach a consensus for all Pakistanis to celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on the same day, as the date remains subject to the appearance of a new crescent moon.
“We are in negotiations with different top religious clerics to make a unanimous decision for the Eid day,” Imran Siddiqui, a spokesman for the Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Arab News on Wednesday.
He said the holiday is a religious festival that should help society move beyond differences “instead of creating further rifts” with regard to the date of its observance.
Pakistan’s Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, the body which announces the sighting of the new moon, is set to meet on May 23 (Saturday) to decide whether Eid will be celebrated on Sunday or Monday.
Eid Al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting when Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours for 29 to 30 days.
Every year, disputes emerge over the beginning and end of the holy month, with Pakistan’s northwestern areas starting with Saudi Arabia, earlier than the rest of the country.
As the Islamic world follows a lunar calendar, traditional moon-sighting methods can lead to different countries declaring the start of Ramadan a day apart.
The first moon-sighting disagreement in Pakistan dates back to 1958, when northwestern regions celebrated Eid Al-Fitr a day before others. Different governments have since tried to put an end to the practice, but to no avail.
According to officials, there is little likelihood that the new moon would be seen on Saturday, but in some regions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan it could be spotted with a telescope, Dr. Khalid Mahmood, director of forecasting at Pakistan Meteorological Department, told Arab News.
“The new crescent becomes visible to the naked eye after 20 hours of its birth,” he said, “And based on this fact, we forecast that its chances are fifty-fifty.”
Every year, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee members meet to observe the moon and collect evidence from across the country to announce the beginning and end of Ramadan.
Many argue that scientific methods could help put an end to the controversy of two Eids, for nobody could deny their objectivity.
“The crescent will be at a seven-degree altitude of the horizon on Saturday, which means it won’t be visible to the naked eye,” Dr. Javed Iqbal, director of the Institute of Space Science and Technology at Karachi University, told Arab News.
A crescent should be at nine to 10 degrees from the horizon to be visible without optical instruments, he said, “We have the biggest 16-inch telescope in Pakistan to see the moon, but we can’t announce any decision.”
Only the official moon sighting committee can announce whether the new crescent has been spotted, Iqbal said, therefore “people living in different areas, especially Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa don’t agree with its decision.”
Religious leaders argue the government should enforce its writ across the country by making people follow the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
“It is a failure of the government to allow people to celebrate two Eids,” said Tabsheer-ul-Haq Thanvi, a religious cleric whose father helped establish the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee in the 1970s.
The moon-sighting committee can rely on science, Thanvi said, “But it is not bound to follow it, as only the traditional method of sighting the moon is authentic as per Islamic teachings.”
Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman, refused to address the issue.
“I don’t want to comment on this controversy,” he told Arab News.
Will Pakistanis celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on same day?
https://arab.news/c47ac
Will Pakistanis celebrate Eid Al-Fitr on same day?
- Traditional moon-sighting methods can lead to different regions declaring the start of Ramadan and Eid a day apart
- Science could help put an end to the controversy of two Eids, but moon-sighting committee says only traditional ways are authentic
Over the moon: China launches high-stakes lunar mission with Pakistani satellite bound for orbit
- The launch is part of China’s Chang’e-6 mission that aims to obtain the first-ever soil and rock samples from the lunar far side
- The samples will contain material ejected from lunar mantle, be used to provide insight into history of moon, earth and solar system
ISLAMABAD: China on Friday launched a Pakistani satellite, ‘ICUBE-Qamar’ or ICUBE-Q, that is set to enter the lunar orbit on a high-stakes moon mission to reach the lunar side, Pakistani state media reported.
The launch was part of China’s Chang’e-6 mission, a planned robotic lunar exploration mission, that aims to obtain the first-ever soil and rock samples from the lunar far side and return them to earth.
The samples will contain material ejected from the lunar mantle and will be used to provide insight into the history of the moon, earth, and the solar system.
“The satellite has been designed and developed by IST (Pakistan’s Institute of Space Technology) in collaboration with China’s Shanghai University and Pakistan’s national space agency SUPARCO,” the state-run Radio Pakistan broadcaster reported.
“The primary purpose of CubeSats is to facilitate scientific research, technology development, and educational initiatives in space exploration.”
The satellite launch was broadcast live on the IST website from the Wenchang space launch site in Hainan, China.
The primary phase of the mission is expected to last about 53 days. Like its predecessors, the spacecraft is named after the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e.
ICUBE-Q has two cameras as payload for taking images of the lunar surface that will be transmitted back to earth for analysis, according to its developers.
They described the launch as a “historic moment” that would open new avenues for future deep space missions from the South Asian nation.
“This is Pakistan’s first deep space mission which is indeed a historic moment and following that maybe in the future other deep space missions can be planned,” Khurram Khurshid, the head of the electrical engineering and computer science department at IST and a co-lead on the satellite project, told Arab News.
Pakistan’s proposal to build the satellite was accepted by the China National Space Agency (CNSA) from plans submitted by eight member states of the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO).
Amid investment push, Pakistan prepares for upcoming visit by Saudi business delegation
- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been working closely in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment
- Pakistani PM has visited Saudi Arabia twice in a month, met crown prince and top ministers and banking heads
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday he hoped for “fruitful” meetings when a high-level delegation of Saudi businessmen that will visit Islamabad in the “next few days” amid a push by the South Asian nation to attract foreign investment.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia have been closely working in recent weeks to increase bilateral trade and investment deals, with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman also reaffirming the Kingdom’s commitment to expedite an investment package of $5 billion.
On Thursday, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said a “high-powered” delegation of Saudi businesspeople and heads of major Saudi companies would be in Islamabad in the “next few days” to discuss private sector investments.
“The best hospitality should be given to the Saudi delegation,” Sharif said as per a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office after a review meeting on Saudi investments in Pakistan.
“It is hoped that the meetings of Pakistani businessmen with the Saudi delegation will be fruitful.”
The business delegation’s visit comes on the heels of one by Sharif to Riyadh from Apr. 27-30 to attend a special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum. On the sidelines of the WEF conference, the Pakistani PM met and discussed bilateral investment and economic partnerships with the crown prince and the Saudi ministers of finance, industries, investment, energy, climate, and economy and planning, the adviser of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council and the presidents of the Saudi central bank and Islamic Development Bank.
This was Sharif’s second meeting with the crown prince in a month. Before that he also met him when he traveled to the Kingdom on April 6-8. The Saudi foreign minister was also in Pakistan last month, during which Pakistan pitched projects worth at least $20 billion to Riyadh.
Pakistan and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong trade, defense and cultural ties. The Kingdom is home to over 2.7 million Pakistani expatriates and serves as a top source of remittances to the cash-strapped South Asian country.
Saudi Arabia has often come to Pakistan’s aid in the past, regularly providing it oil on deferred payments and offering direct financial support to help stabilize its economy and shore up forex reserves.
As things stand, Pakistan desperately needs to shore up its foreign reserves and is in talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for a new bailout deal, for which it needs to signal that it can continue to meet requirements for foreign financing which has been a key demand in previous loan packages.
Last year Pakistan set up the Special Investment Facilitation Council, a body consisting of Pakistani civilian and military leaders and specially tasked to promote investment in Pakistan. The council is so far focusing on investments in the energy, agriculture, mining, information technology and aviation sectors and specifically targeting Gulf nations.
Pakistan envoy highlights Kashmir, Palestine at UN debate on ‘Culture of Peace’
- Munir Akram says the realization of the culture is intrinsically linked with adherence to the principles of the UN Charter
- ‘We must also confront and reverse the dark forces of fascism, aggression and occupation,’ Pakistan’s envoy tells the UN
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s permanent representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Munir Akram, on Thursday participated in a general debate of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on the ‘Culture of Peace,’ where he highlighted the issues of Kashmir, Palestine and growing Islamophobia in the world.
The Muslim-majority Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between Pakistan and India since their independence from the British rule in 1947. Both countries rule part of the Himalayan territory, but claim it in full and have fought three wars over the disputed region.
Pakistan also does not recognize the state of Israel and calls for an independent Palestinian state based on “internationally agreed parameters” and the pre-1967 borders with Al-Quds Al-Sharif as its capital. Akram has repeatedly raised the issue of Israeli war on Gaza at the UN in recent months.
In his address on Thursday, Pakistan’s permanent envoy said the world was witnessing the “rise of hate, violence and war” despite a unanimously expressed desire to promote peace, noting that more than 300 conflicts were presently raging across the world.
“The right of peoples to self-determination is being brutally suppressed, especially in Palestine and in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said in his address. “We see the spread of discrimination, bigotry, xenophobia and Islamophobia even in mature democracies.”
Akram said his country welcomed the consideration of the agenda item, adding the realization of Culture of Peace, as delineated in Article 3 of the UN Declaration, was intrinsically linked with the adherence to the principles of the UN Charter.
“In our turbulent world, promotion of a Culture of Peace is not only desirable but imperative. Our strategy must energetically promote the values of peace and harmony under the dialogue among civilizations,” he said.
“But we must also confront and reverse the dark forces of fascism, aggression and occupation and the threat they pose to peace, prosperity and stability and a world order based on the principles and purposes of the UN Charter.”
Speaking with regard to growing Islamophobia in the world, the envoy noted Pakistan and member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) had initiated the adoption of a resolution designating March 15 as the Day to Combat Islamophobia and on the same day this year, the General Assembly adopted a resolution on Measures to Combat Islamophobia.
“We look forward to the appointment of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Islamophobia and the initiation of a Plan of Action to Combat Islamophobia,” he added.
Pakistan takes stringent measures to broaden tax net ahead of IMF loan talks
- Islamabad expects an agreement with the IMF by July, though both sides have refrained from commenting on the program’s size
- Law Minister Azam Tarar says IMF is insisting on increasing tax net, implementing energy reforms and ensuring good governance
KARACHI: Pakistani authorities have taken some stringent measures to broaden the country’s tax net, including blocking mobile phone connections of individuals and registering retailers, ahead of Islamabad’s talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) this month for a new loan program.
Pakistan and the IMF are expected to begin formal talks after the arrival of an IMF team in Islamabad in the mid of May. Islamabad has said it expects a staff-level agreement by July. Though both Pakistani and IMF officials have refrained from commenting on the size of the program, the South Asian nation is expected to seek around $7 billion bailout from the global lender.
Last month, Jihad Azour, the IMF director for the Middle East and Central Asia, said that “reform is now more important than the size of the program.” The Fund is insisting on increasing the tax net, implement energy reforms and ensure good governance as part of the reforms, according to Pakistani officials.
Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar said the IMF had recommended a number of measures and the government would utilize this revenue for the betterment of the masses.
“The IMF has recommended to expand tax net, control electricity theft and ensure good governance to save the resources,” Tarar said, adding that introducing reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) was top priority of the government to address economic issues and broaden the tax net.
The Pakistani government has reshuffled officials within the tax collection agency to streamline operations and enhance its transparency, according to the official. It has decided to block more than half a million mobile phone connections of individuals, who had not filed their tax returns, and emphasized on the registration of retailers ahead of formal talks with the IMF.
“FBR has taken decisive action by issuing an order to disable mobile phone SIMs associated with 506,671 individuals who fall under the aforementioned category,” the tax collection agency said in a notification issued on April 30.
“These measures are aimed at encouraging individuals to fulfill their tax obligations and contribute to the country’s economic development.”
In an another move, the FBR has decided to expedite the registration of around 3 million retailers, under the Tajir Dost Scheme, which focuses on traders and shopkeepers operating through a fixed place of business, including a shop, store, warehouse, office or similar physical place.
However, representatives of trade bodies say the scheme, launched on April 1, had not produced the “desired results.”
“The scheme is failing because there is no awareness among traders about the pros and cons of the scheme, while business conditions are also not supporting such a move,” Atiq Mir, chairman of the All Karachi Tajir Ittehad (AKTI), told Arab News on Friday.
“Amid high inflation and slow business activities, traders are struggling to survive and they can’t afford another burden of taxes.”
To deal with the situation, the FBR has appointed Muhammad Naeem Mir, chairman of the All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran’s Supreme Council, chief coordinator of the Tajir Dost Scheme.
Naeem, who has not yet taken the charge, said he would analyze and discuss the strategy with FBR officials next week.
“From Monday onwards, we will draw strategy and work on the scheme after discussing and getting know-how of it from FBR officials,” he told Arab News.
Naeem denied any resistance from traders, saying the FBR had not run a comprehensive campaign to introduce the scheme, but people were “voluntarily registering themselves.”
Under the scheme, the FBR has notified registration of retailers in six major cities, including Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Quetta. The tax agency expects around Rs100 billion revenue by imposing advance tax in these cities from the July this year, according to FBR officials.
If the FBR successfully implemented the scheme by bringing about 3 million more taxpayers in the net, the overall active taxpayers would increase to more than 7 million from the existing 4 million in Pakistan.
At least 20 killed as bus plunges into gorge in northern Pakistan
- The bus, which carried 42 passengers, was en route to Rawalpindi from Hunza
- Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed
KHAPLU, GILGIT-BALTISTAN: At least 20 people were killed and over a dozen others were injured after a bus plunged into a gorge in Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) region, officials said on Friday.
The passenger bus was en route to the garrison city of Rawalpindi from Hunza when it plunged into a 300-meter-deep ravine near the Gunar Farm area in GB’s Diamer district, according to Sardar Sheheryar Khan, senior superintendent of police (SSP).
Rescue 1122, police and paramilitary Frontier Constabulary and GB Scouts immediately reached the site and shifted all bodies and injured persons to the Regional Headquarters Hospital in Chilas.
“Soon after the accident, announcements were made from loudspeakers of mosques and local people rushed to the site and joined hands with the administration for the rescue,” Khan told Arab News.
“Dozens of locals are at the hospital for blood donation. Emergency has been imposed at the hospital and all doctors and paramedical staff are busy treating the injured.”
The driver lost control of the bus, which carried 42 passengers, while navigating a curve and it fell into the ravine, according to officials.
“Among the five critically injured, two were shifted to Gilgit via road and three others will be airlifted by army helicopter soon,” Fiaz Ahmad, the Diamer deputy commissioner told reporters.
“Best treatment was being given to injured,” he added.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed regret over the loss of precious lives in the accident. “The prime minister issued directives to provide all possible medical aid to the injured,” Sharif’s office said in a statement.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi extended his condolences to the families of the deceased. “We equally share the sorrow of the bereaved families in this hour of grief,” he said in a statement.
Road accidents are common in Pakistan, where traffic rules are rarely followed and roads, particularly in many rural areas, are in poor condition. In the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, road tragedies are daily news.
In July 2023 alone, at least 41 people, including tourists, were killed in road mishaps across the region, according to rescue officials. In 2022, at least 77 people died and 467 were wounded in accidents in GB.
