The Federal Ministry for Religious Affairs on Tuesday issues an official notification revoking Mufti Abdul Qavi’s membership of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee.
On June 22, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Yousaf suspended Mufti Qavi’s membership of the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee after his pictures and video with Qandeel Baloch went viral on social media. “Mufti Abdul Qavi resident of Multan (Punjab), Member of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee is hereby suspended with immediate effect and further order,” the notification had read.
Qavi had also been serving in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab ulema wing before the scandal was surfaced. However, his party membership was suspended after the incident.At the time, the minister, who said the photos were ‘controversial’, had also suspended the mufti’s membership of the National Ulema Mushaikh Council, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Religious Affairs said.
In the video, Baloch could be seen donning Mufti Qawi’s cap as he stood beside her. The social media starlet was murdered by her own brother in the name of honour just one month after the video surfaced on social media. Following the ‘scandal’, the internet sensation had claimed she was receiving death threats and had officially sought security. The self-proclaimed model had also ridiculed the cleric on various TV channels after the release of controversial content.
The Ruet-e-Hilal Committee was established in 1974 through a parliamentary resolution and it has been working since at the central and district levels without enjoying any legal or constitutional status. It has been argued that if the moon-sighting body is given a legal status, its observations would become more forceful and carry more weight.
