ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee for sighting of the Ramazan moon has been convened on June 6 in Karachi, but Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said that the meeting would be held in Peshawar.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a press note on Thursday saying a meeting of the Central Ruet-iHilal Committee would be held in the Karachi Office of the Pakistan Meteorological Department.

The press note further said that meetings of zonal and district Ruet-i-Hilal committees would be held in their respective places.

However, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf said that efforts were being made to end the confusion regarding sighting of the Ramazan and Shawwal moon.

`We are considering holding a meeting of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee in Peshawar this year so that the issue of moon-sighting is tackled on the spot,` the Minister for Religious Affairs told media in his office after an award distribution ceremony for winners of the Quran reciting competition.

He said the government was sincere in resolving the issue of sighting of Ramazan and Shawwal moon as there were two dates for start of Ramazan and at times three dates for Eid celebrations in the country.

`The federal government has contacted the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and other local religious scholars in this regard,` he added.

`We would like Ramazan to begin on the same day across the country.

However, without naming anybody, he said that some Ulema had made moon-sighting an issue without any reason, but it was also a technical matter apart from being a religious obligation.

`Ruet-i-Hilal Committee executes this responsibility with the support of Met Office and Suparco as they have the latest equipment and technology to help identify the definite and accurate position of the moon in those days,` Sardar Yousaf said.