ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to restructure and empower the moon-sighting body, Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, by replacing Chairman Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman.
According to sources in the Ministry of Religious Affairs, a summary has been prepared along with a new bill seeking to reconstitute the moon sighting body and its Terms of Reference (ToRs).
The sources further said that the summary, along with the draft bill, has been sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for further deliberations and legal opinions.
The draft mentioned that the incumbent chairman and members of the RHC would be replaced, while some existing and new religious scholars would be inducted in the committee.
The summary also carries a proposal to impose fine over those religious scholars and religious seminaries who issue a parallel announcement in contradiction with the government committee.
It is worth mentioning here that the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was established in 1974 under a resolution passed by the National Assembly, but no rules and regulations for the functioning of the committee have been drafted to date.