The Pakistan Ruet e Hilal Bill 2022 was recently enacted by the National Assembly of Pakistan in an effort to settle the ongoing disagreements over the sighting of the crescent moon. The proposed legislation establishes fines for making untimely notifications about moon sightings as well as reconstitutes the current authority in charge of moon sightings.
A 15-person federal body called the Federal Ruet e Hilal body will be created as a result of the new legislation. The committee will be made up of one person from Islamabad, one from Gilgit-Baltistan, and two ulemas (religious experts) from each of the four provinces. Members of the Pakistan Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (Suparco), the ministry of science and technology, and the ministry of religious affairs will also be represented on the committee.
The measure stipulates that ulemas chosen to the committee must have a Shahadatul Almiya degree that has been granted by the Higher Education Commission (HEC), a master’s degree in Islamiat, and 15 years of relevant experience.
Additionally, the measure expressly forbids the operation of any unofficial committees, and the federal committee’s duration is fixed at three years.
The chairman of the committee, who would be chosen by rotation from among the provinces and the federation, will be in charge of making judgements about moon sightings.
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For infractions, the measure provides severe penalties. Anyone found guilty of breaking the Act is liable for a Rs. 500,000 fine. Additionally, those who manufacture proof of moon sightings risk three years in prison and a fine of Rs50,000.
The measure also makes TV networks responsible for their deeds. Any television network that broadcasts reports of moon sightings prior to the federal committee’s official statement would be subject to a heavy punishment of one million rupees, and in extreme situations, their broadcasting license may be lost. This offence is regarded to be neither bailable nor compoundable.
The measure requires the creation of provincial and district committees in addition to the federal committee. The Islamabad-based Ruet e Hilal Committee would include seven members, compared to the 13 members of the provincial committees. The district committees will have six members, who will represent academics from various fields of study.
The requirements for committee members are laid forth in the law. A master’s degree in Islamiat is required of members of the provincial and Islamabad committees.
Members of district committees must hold a master’s degree in Islamiat and have worked in the Sharia field for at least one year.
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After being approved by the National Assembly, the bill will now move to the Senate for final approval.
In other events, at a recent parliamentary session, MNA Aliya Kamran brought attention to the problem of food shortages in the nation. In response, Tariq Bashir Cheema, minister for national food security, denied that there were any serious food security issues in the nation. He emphasized that Pakistan’s record wheat production this year had rendered imports of wheat unnecessary for the following year. He also emphasized the rice and cotton output surpluses from the previous year.
