ISLAMABAD: The Ministry of Religious Affairs on Tuesday forwarded the draft of Ruet-e-Hilal Bill 2017 to the federal cabinet for approval, which seeks the reconstitution of the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee and suggests a one-year imprisonment, a Rs 200,000 fine, or both, for anyone who announces the sighting of the new moon before the Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee. Two members from each province and one each from Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Islamabad will be part of the new committee. One representative each from the meteorological department, the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and the Ministry of Religious Affairs will also be part of the committee. Television channels which announce the sighting of the moon before a formal announcement by the committee will be fined up to Rs1 million and could also face suspension under the proposed bill. The bill also suggests a six-month imprisonment or a Rs50,000 fine or both for those providing false evidence of moon-sighting. It also seeks to limit the tenure of the committee’s chairman to three years and appointment for the post to be rotated among all four provinces. After approval by the cabinet, the bill will be tabled in the parliament. Moon sighting in Pakistan becomes a cause of controversy each year around key festivals, especially the two Eids, as independent clerics, most notably Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai of Peshawar’s Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, often digress from the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee’s decisions, leading to key events being celebrated at different times in the country. Published in Daily Times, December 13th 2017.