Honorarium for prayer leaders termed ‘haram’

MANSEHRA: Ulema affiliated with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) have issued a joint decree declaring monthly honorarium of Rs10,000 for prayer leaders as haram.

“This joint decree issued by over 300 Ulema bars prayer leaders from receiving this monthly honorarium money, which is part of an international conspiracy against them,” Mufti Kifayatullah, the acting provincial chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, told a gathering on Friday.

Mufti Kifayatullah told Ulema that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government had obtained money from international non-governmental organisations and they should raise voice against it.

“We are going to hold a conference on February 5 to persuade the Ulema of different schools of thought to avoid this monthly honorarium,” Maulana Saeed Abdullah told reporters after the gathering.

Also in the day, office-bearers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Mansehra termed the decree as an attempt to deprive imams of monthly honorarium which was being given to them from exchequer. “The PTI-led government has been giving away this monthly honorarium to improve the financial position of Ulema from its own treasury,” Mohammad Nisar, the president of PTI youth wing, told reporters.