THE world has moved far ahead owing to advancements in science and technology. Unfortunately this is not so in Pakistan.

The recent chaos situation resulting from the friction between science and technology minister Fawad Chaudhary and Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Chairman, Mufti Muneeb ur Rehman, over the Eid moon sighting, was a storm in a teacup which caused unnecessary bother to the nation.

I fail to understand what stopped the moon sighting body from making arrangements to sight the moon in Balochistan’s coastal areas when the science and technology had given this information almost a week before the Eid moon sighting on May 23.

The Eid moon sighting was announced very late around 10pm. I feel in the third decade of the 21stst century, the use of advance technology and lunar calculation, which have been around for centuries, are the best means of deciding when Eid would be observed.

This is no rocket science. Once the state observatory announces where the crescent is most likely to be sighted, the Ruet-i-Hilal Committee should make arrangements to sight the crescent with the naked eye. What is the need for the — is it on is it off? — brouhaha that held the nation hostage in the evening of May 23.

One hope better sense will prevail and sanity is applied next year to decide the Shawwal moon of 1442 Hijrah.

Engr Waqar Badar Kandhro

Larkana

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2020