Eid-ul-Fitr: A day before Eid prayers in Mandi Bahauddin, a case was registered against 14 persons including the imam of the mosque.
Police in the central district of Mandi Bahauddin in Pakistan's Punjab province have charged 14 citizens, including the imam of a mosque, with celebrating Eid al-Fitr on Monday (the previous day) and offering Eid prayers the day before, contrary to government orders. The case has been registered.
The case has been registered in Miana Gondal police station of Mandi Bahauddin district on the complaint of police sub-inspector Shahid Mahmood.
The FIR states that on May 2 (Monday) at 7.30 am, the Imam of Chak No. 28 announced that the Eid-ul-Fitr prayers would be offered at 8.30 am and after that the Imam of the mosque sent 14 persons at the appointed time. He offered Eid prayers with
The FIR said that the Central Route Hilal Committee of Pakistan had announced that the 30th fast would be observed in Pakistan on May 2 and Eid-ul-Fitr on May 3.
According to the FIR, the imam of the mosque and fourteen others have violated the government declaration and committed a crime under section 188 of the Pakistan Penal Code against which a case is registered against them.
Police ASI and plaintiff Shahid Mahmood said that the police had not yet arrested any accused who had celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr a day earlier.
He said that when the police team reached the mosque, they had gone home after offering Eid prayers but efforts were being made to arrest the accused.
Who were the 14 people who offered Eid prayers?
According to the local police, seven people were sitting in i'tikaaf in the mosque of Chak No. 28 and the imam of the mosque lifted these seven persons from i'tikaaf and said that now your i'tikaaf has been completed so offer Eid prayers.
The other seven were citizens who had a deep devotion to the Imam of the mosque and they also imitated.
Only these fourteen people offered Eid prayers while the rest of the villagers neither celebrated Eid nor offered Eid prayers a day before.
A Mandi Bahauddin police spokesman said it was the only incident of its kind in the district and no such incident had been reported from any other area.
He said the imam of the mosque had been missing since the case was registered and his close associates were saying that he had left the city and would return in a few days.
What moon did the Imam see?
The people of village Chak No. 28 wondered if the imam of the mosque really saw the moon which he suddenly announced for Eid prayers and directed the people to reach the mosque through loudspeaker.
A resident of the village said that he inquired from the imam of the mosque about the reason for celebrating Eid ahead of time as no one had seen the moon and also on TV channels regarding the sighting of Hilal Committee. It is being observed that the 30th fast will be observed on Monday and Eid-ul-Fitr will be celebrated on Tuesday.
According to the man, the imam of the mosque was of the view that his spiritual mentor and mentor belonged to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, with whom he had spoken on the telephone, and the follower of the mentor had instructed that since the moon had appeared. That is why all his disciples should celebrate Eid on Monday.