ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has traded barbs with prominent religious scholar and chairman of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman.
Taking to Twitter, Fawad Chaudhry strongly lashed at Mufti Muneeb for his stance related to lockdown after the cleric announced that restrictions will not be applicable to mosques and they would remain open for congregational prayers and also kind of activities.
مولانا منیب الرحمنٰ ہمارے بزرگ ہیں احترام ہے لیکن ان کو اتنا بڑا چاند نظر نہیں آتا اتنا چھوٹا کرونا وائرس کہاں سے نظر آنا ہے، وزارت مذھبی امور کی توجہ دلائ ہے کہ آپ کی وزارتی کمیٹی کے سربراہ اگر حکومتی احکامات کا یوں مذاق اڑائیں گے تو باقیوں سے کیا توقع؟
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 15, 2020
The federal minister questioned how Chairman Ruet-e-Hilal Committee will see a microscopic coronavirus when he cannot sight the moon, taking a jibe on the controversy between them over the sighting of the moon.
“Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman is our respected elder but how will he see a microscopic Coronavirus when he can’t see the huge moon? We have pointed out to the Ministry of Religious Affairs that what we can expect from others when your own committee heads ridicule government orders,” the federal minister wrote.
He further announced that Ramazan’s moon will be sighted on 24th April and the first of Ramazan will be observed on the next day. “We had planned on gathering people for moon sighting ceremony but have cancelled the event due to coronavirus pandemic.”
A day earlier Mufti Muneeb said that the lockdown was not applicable to mosques. “Arrangements would be made for Friday congregational prayers and tarawih in the holy month of Ramazan,” he added.
Read more: Shabaan moon sighted, Shab-e-Barat on April 8
