PESHAWAR: A surprising development took place as news broke that Mufti Popalzai was missing with rumours rife that he had gone to perform Umrah on Saturday. According to details, when rumours started doing the rounds that Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai was in Makkah to perform Umrah, it was found out that he had in fact arrived in Dubai from Islamabad on June 22. On the other hand, Chairman of Masjid Qasim Khan committee claimed that the Auqaf department had instructed him to close Masjid Qasim Khan. However, Haji Aziz-ur-Rahman, the chairman was adamant when he said that Eid would be announced after testimonies were obtained. “If the mosque is closed, then the meeting of Masjid Qasim Khan’s Ruhat-e-Hilal committee would take place outside,” he warned. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Minister of Auqaf and Religious Affairs Habib-ur-Rahman said that in a meeting on moon sighting should not be held on Saturday. “Only the central Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee can decide whether or not the moon has been sighted,” he said. He said that to announce Eid on one’s own behest was illegal and said that taking legal action against an illegal Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee was not easy. “I had asked the federation for legislation with regard to Ruhat-e-Hilal Committee,” he said that. “On the basis of which law can we take action against them?” he asked.