PESHAWAR: A row over Ramazan moon erupted in the country on Sunday after Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of the non-official ruet-i-hilal committee of Qasim Ali Khan Mosque announced that evidence of the sighting of moon had been received and Monday would be the first day of the fasting month in Peshawar and adjoining areas.

He said the committee had received five evidences on Sunday night.According to him, the moon was sighted in Rigi, on the outskirts of Peshawar.

But the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and religious scholars belonging to different schools of thought criticised the announcement made byMufti Popalzai and affirmed their support for the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee.

Interestingly, the Qasim Khan mosque had earlier convened a meeting of its ruet committee on Monday. But an emergency meeting was held on Sunday night after some people reported to have seen the crescent.

A local ruet committee in Mardan was meeting till late in the night to decide the issue.

According to sources, Ramazan will also begin on Monday in parts of Bajaur and North Waziristan, particularly in Miramshah.

The meeting of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee, to be held in Karachi on Monday, will be atten-ded by members of the central and Karachi zonal committees and officials of the meteorological department.

It may be mentioned that Ramazan begins on Monday in most Arab countries, Malaysia and Indonesia.