‘Prayer leaders to receive stipends from June’

HANGU: Advisor to the Chief Minister on Auqaf and Religious Affairs, Muhammad Zahoor Shakir, said that the government would start giving Rs10,000 stipend to prayer leaders from June this year.

He was speaking to a delegation of Hangu Press Club.

The adviser said that according to the vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan, the 45000 students enrolled in the seminaries would be provided study environment and free books.

He said that all the seminaries would be solarized to get rid of loadshedding problem.

He said that the properties of the Auqaf Department occupied by the mafia would be reclaimed.

The advisor said that the Islamic University, Quran Mahal and Quran Park would be established in the province, adding, all the properties of the Auqaf would be commercialised.

He said that the government was making a policy to enhance the annual revenue of the Auqaf Department from Rs200 million to Rs2 billion.

The adviser said that the government would bring amendments to the leasing system as so far only Rs200 million revenue was being generated from the properties on 60,000 kanals annually.

He said that the employees of the Auqaf Department sometimes could not receive salaries due to low income generation by the department.

The adviser said that the government was determined to establish an Islamic University in the province which would be affiliated with the ‘Wafaqul Madaaris’.