PESHAWAR: Afghan refugees across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas celebrated Eidul Azha on Friday and offered Eid prayers while tribesmen in parts of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) also observed the holy festival.

The festival was observed with Saudi Arabia despite an announcement by the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee and the local ulema committee of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan that Eidul Azha would be celebrated on October 27.

A huge Eid congregation was held at the Kacha Ghari Camp in the provincial capital Peshawar where thousands of Afghans offered Eid prayers and exchanged greetings.

Afghans living in Shamshato Camp in Nowshera, Khurasan and Zandi camps on the outskirts of Peshawar as well as those living in Charsadda, Swabi, Haripur and the tribal areas also offered Eid prayers and slaughtered sacrificial animals.

The tribesmen in Mohmand, North Waziristan, Bajaur, Khyber and Orakzai also celebrated Eidul Azha with Saudi Arabia ahead of the rest of Pakistan despite ulema’s decision of celebrating Eid on Saturday.

The local ulema committee in Mohmand and North Waziristan tribal regions had decided to observe Eid with Saudi Arabia, following which announcements were made on loudspeakers regarding Eid prayers.

Afghans living in KP and Fata for the last three decades are following the tradition of celebrating Eid with Saudi Arabia while in parts of Fata, some tribesmen go with Saudi Arabia while others prefer to celebrate Eid in accordance with the ulema’s announcement.