PESHAWAR: The residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including religious scholars and leaders of the ruling parties, were divided over celebrating Eidul Fitr on Monday as people in some districts celebrated the religious festival while others observed fasting.

Although provincial government did not announce Eidul Fitr officially, yet Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak celebrated Eid in his native village in Nowshera.

Imran Khan, the chairman of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, and many of his party ministers celebrated Eid with internally displaced persons of North Waziristan Agency in Bannu.

Prof Mohammad Ibrahim, the provincial chief of Jammat-i-Islami, which is also a coalition partner in the provincial government, led Eid prayers at IDPs camp in Bannu.

Prof Ibrahim distributed Eid gifts among the displaced people but Provincial Minister for Religious Affairs Habibur Rehman, who also belongs to Jamaat-i-Islami, criticised the announcement of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan about celebration of Eid on Monday. He said that Eid would be celebrated in accordance with the decision of the Zonal Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

There was no official announcement by the provincial govt but PTI chief, CM and Jamaat provincial emir celebrated Eid on Monday

Similarly, majority of the leaders of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl including its spokesman Maulana Abdul Jalil Jan, Senator Haji Ghulam Ali and Federal Minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani celebrated Eid in their respective areas but their central leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman didn’t celebrate the religious festival in Dera Ismail Khan.

JUI-F provincial chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, who was in Dir Lower, also didn’t celebrate Eidul Fitr.

Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan and his son MPA Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao celebrated Eid in their native village in Charsadda on Monday.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan will celebrate Eid at Governor’s House, Peshawar on Tuesday.

Pakistan Peoples Party provincial president Khanzada Khan celebrated Eid in his native village in Mardan.

In Peshawar district and surrounding tribal regions, majority of the people celebrated Eid but they seemed annoyed with the clerics, who stood divided on this important occasion. “We play in hands of the clerics,” was the answer of majority of the people in routine discussion about moon sighting.

The people said that it was duty of the state to create harmony and bring the clerics on same page at least on this significant occasion to avoid division in the nation.

In Swabi district, people were seen divided over celebrating Eidul Fitr.

Majority of people followed the announcement of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan regarding moon sighting and observed the religious festivity on Monday, however, some of them waited for the announcement of Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

It was observed for the first time that majority of the local people followed the non-official Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and celebrated Eid.

The residents of Tarbela Dam colonies never followed the Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, Peshawar in the past but majority of them also offered Eid prayers as per decision of the unofficial committee.

Also the people of Ghazi, sub-tehsil of Haripur district, which shares boundary with Topi tehsil, too refused to follow the central committee.

However, several people belonging to Topi said that a great confusion was there because neither they were in position to meet their relatives in Ghazi nor they could visit them.

Employees of Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology were also divided on the issue. Those belonging to Punjab said that they did not celebrate Eid but the employees hailing from different parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa celebrated Eid.

Meanwhile, the entire Gadoon belt which always followed the centre, this time celebrated Eid on Monday.

In the past, only Afghan refugees used to celebrate Eid a day ago as compared to the local people but this time local people also followed them and celebrated Eid on the same day with them.

Published in Dawn, July 29th, 2014