Cleric files police complaint against Pak minister over moon-sighting website

A Muslim cleric has filed a police complaint against Pakistan's Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry, alleging that he had deliberately violated norms of Islam and Sharia by introducing a moon-sighting calendar.

Chaudhry Sunday launched Pakistan's first ever moon-sighting website - pakmoonsighting.pk - in a bid to end controversy over the start of key lunar months that decides the beginning of the holy month of Ramazan and Eid festivals.

Mufti Inamul Haq has filed a complaint with the Secretariat Police Station here, alleging that Chaudhry had deliberately violated norms of Islam and Sharia by introducing a moon-sighting calendar, Dawn reported.

In the complaint, it is stated that the minister had also used derogatory remarks against the religious figures and hurt the sentiments of the masses.

Haq has requested the Secretariat Police to lodge a First Information Report against the minister.

The website features sections such as Islamic calendar for the next five years, a day-to-day lunar calendar against dates from the Gregorian calendar, and the dates on which the first day of every lunar month will fall.

Pakistan has been facing controversies on key religious occasions like start of Ramazan and Eid as religious leader from different regions differ on sighting of the moon.

Chaudhry's plan has been opposed by most of the clerics who insist that sighting of moon with naked eye is essential.