October 28, 2006	Saturday	Shawwal 4, 1427

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LAHORE, Oct 27: Advocate Tariq Aziz on Friday moved the Lahore High Court in a writ petition seeking dissolution of the central and provincial Ruet-i-Hilal committees and direction to the federal government to announce holidays on each religious festivity at least two weeks in advance.

The petitioner stated that lunar calendars had been developed by the entire Muslim world and from nowhere had any dispute about the days of Moharram, Ramazan and two Eids ever been heard. Even the Saudi government, which did not have such a calendar, had always announced holidays weeks in advance, he claimed.

As for Pakistan, he said it was a matter of ignominy for the government to allow the celebration of Eidul Fitr on three different days in the country. This situation had emerged owing to moon-sighting arrangements which negated the modern scientific methods, he said.

He submitted that the meteorologists had the capability of developing a lunar calendar which could be valid for the next 60 years at least.

He requested the court to issue edicts to the federal government to dissolve the Ruet-i-Hilal committees in the centre and provinces, take over the job of announcing the sighting of moon every month and introduce a lunar calendar in the near future.

PLEA DISMISSED: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a sub-inspector’s plea with the observation that the public servants guilty of moral crime were not entitled to any concession.

They should rather be punished for the breach of their professional morale.

If a public servant was found responsible for an offence and he still approached court against the departmental punishment, such a penalty needed to be enhanced, the apex court observed.

Petitioner Mohammad Asghar, a former sub-inspector, submitted that he was dismissed from service for misbehaving with a woman after he forcibly entered a house under the influence.

The court also dismissed a petition of a police constable who was seeking compensation with the observation that only widow and children were entitled to the compensation given by the department.

The court also held that the parents could obtain their share from the benevolent fund only and not from the compensation in case of death of a public servant.

The petition was filed by Inayatullah who submitted that his son, a constable, was killed during an encounter with criminals and the department had given compensation to his widow while he was also legal heir of his deceased son.