A 25-member committee of ulema of North Waziristan, after deliberating for more than four hours, declared on Wednesday that Shawwal moon had been sighted and that Eid would be celebrated across the region on Thursday.

A total of 19 evidences were presented to the committee headed by Maulvi Sanaullah, 11 of them from Mirali area and nine from Miramshah.

Thousands of people, both locals and from nearby areas, had flocked to the meeting to see its proceedings. After the announcement, people fired in the air in celebration and danced to the beat of drums.

The outcome of the meeting meant that Eid will be celebrated in Waziristan region a day earlier than the rest of the country. It also showed that the issue of sighting the Shawwal crescent needs to be handled more efficiently in future.

S. Arabia, most other Arab states celebrate Eid today

KARACHI: Eidul Fitr will be celebrated in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and most other countries in the Middle East on Thursday as the Shawwal moon was sighted on Wednesday.

The Saudi royal court announced that the first day of Shawwal would fall on Thursday, the website of Saudi Gazette said.

The Khaleej Times website quoted the UAE’s Justice Minister and chairman of the moon-sighting committee, Dr Hadef bin Jowan Al Dhahiri, as confirming that Eid would be celebrated on Thursday.

Eid prayers would be offered across the country on Thursday morning, said the announcement. Special events and celebrations would be held to mark the festive season.