20000112

Eid celebrated

for three days

in various parts

of NWFP

ABBOTTABAD: Three Eids were celebrated in NWFP this year on three different days.

Earlier it was generally believed that unlike past, people of various parts of the province might celebrate the Eid-ul-Fitr on same day (Saturday last). But that was not the case. Moon for the Islamic month Shawwal could not be sighted anywhere in Pakistan on Friday, January 7. So majority of NWFP people celebrated Eid with the rest of their countrymen on Sunday, January 9. But residents of Mardan, Charsada, Swabi, parts of Peshawar and people from tribal areas, sticking to their old tradition, celebrated Eid on Saturday, January 8.

Yet Afghan refugee and people living near Durrand Line, in tribal agencies celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr with Saudi Arabia on Friday (January 7). A website on the Internet, moonsighting, had predicted that Shawwal moon would not be visible to naked or even microscopic eye in India and Pakistan on January 7 as its age would be hardly 2 hours.

But the people of same parts of the province had already fasted for 30 days and they celebrated Eid on Saturday.ÑAPP