New Delhi

Going by the reaction on social media, Pakistanis are as euphoric about India’s lunar mission Chandrayaan-3 as the Indians. The most surprising reaction was from former minister Fawad Choudhary, who was once a known India baiter and had once ridiculed the ISRO’s moon mission when Chandrayaan-2 was unable to make a soft landing.

Pakistan's former Minister of Science and Technology, Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, has now done an unexpected about-face.

He has not only congratulated India on its Chandrayaan-3 mission but also recommended that students in Pakistan should be asked to see the live telecast of the event of Vikram lander descending on the south side of the moon to become the fourth country in the world to achieve this scientific milestone.

All eyes on #Chandryaan3 Moon landing 5:40 PM, great day for Indian Science Community and Space scientists, Congratulations to people of India on this great achievement

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 23, 2023

In India, prayers continued to be organized in places of worship in the final hours of Chandrayaan's journey to the South Pole of the Moon. A special prayer was organised in Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi where the minister for Urban Affairs Hardeep Puri also participated:

ਸ੍ਰੀ ਹਰਿ ਕ੍ਰਿਸ਼ਨ ਧਿਆਈਐ ਜਿਸ ਡਿਠੇ ਸਭਿ ਦੁਖਿ ਜਾਇ ।।

Joined members of Sikh Sangat in paying obeisance at Gurdwara Bangla Sahib & joining special Ardas for successful landing of #Chandrayaan3 today@narendramodi @PMOIndia @AmitShah @JPNadda @isro @IndiaDST @mssirsa #Chandrayaan pic.twitter.com/3Ykna5uLUW

— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) August 23, 2023

Pakistani bloggers too are upbeat about the Indian Lunar mission.

Aarzoo Kazmi, a highly popular blogger, said she has ordered Mithia to celebrate the expected landing of Chandrayaan-3 on the Southern Pole of the Moon at 6.04 pm (IST).

She was speaking with Sajjad Tarar, a US-based non-resident Pakistani, who has of late been advocating closer trade and cultural relations between India and Pakistan, said there is no way out for Pakistan but to normalize relations with India and learn from its growth story.

Shohaib Choudhary, whose blog Real Entertainment has followers in both the countries, countries, has been showing the reaction of the common man of Pakistan to India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission.

Most of them people seem to be lamenting about Pakistan’s lagging in development and growth in comparison with India.

Muslims in Odhisha's capital Bhubaneshwar offered namaz for the success of Chandrayaan-3.

Odisha: People offer special prayers at a mosque in Bhubaneswar for the successful lunar landing of Chandrayaan-3.#Chandrayaan3 #Chandrayaan3Landing #Chandrayaan3Mission #Chandrayaan3Update #Chandrayaan3LIVE #Odisha #mosque #चंद्रयान_3 #ISRO #MoonToday pic.twitter.com/Gmofr0WpWX

— Shailendra Singh (@Shailendra97S) August 23, 2023

Seema Haider

Meanwhile in India, Seema Haider who came from Pakistan after marrying a UP resident Sachin Tyagi said she was fasting for the success of Chandrayaan-3. In the video posted on X, Haider said she is invoking all the deities for the success of Chandrayaan-3.

ALSO READ: Chandrayaan-3 landing: Indians across the globe pray for success of the mission

Seema told the media that she would not eat till the Chandrayaan-3 landed on the Moon.