Punjab CM inaugurates Rs25,000 honorarium cards for 70,000 mosque imams

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Thursday formally inaugurated the “Chief Minister Punjab Rs25,000 Honorarium Card for Imam Masjid Sahiban,” a landmark welfare initiative aimed at providing financial support to mosque imams across the province.

Addressing a ceremony attended by hundreds of mosque imams, the chief minister announced that approximately 70,000 registration applications have been received from across Punjab.

She said the honorarium cards would ensure the monthly transfer of Rs25,000 directly into the imams’ bank accounts.

CM Maryam Nawaz stated that the issuance process of the honorarium cards would be completed by February 2026. Until then, payments will be made through pay orders. Afterwards, all payments will be transferred exclusively through the Honorarium Card and the amount can be withdrawn from Bank of Punjab ATMs.

She said that the Punjab government would spend over Rs1.2 billion annually on the program.

Highlighting the role of religious scholars, the chief minister said that Ulema hold a vital position in society and deserve respect and recognition.

“It is our failure that we could not accord scholars the status they truly deserve,” she remarked, adding that Punjab has nearly 80,000 mosques belonging to all sects.

Addressing concerns surrounding the initiative, CM Maryam Nawaz said propaganda was spread against the honorarium card, clarifying that it is a transparent welfare scheme aimed at promoting religious harmony and social stability.

She emphasized that preventing religious hatred and division is a shared responsibility, stressing that the state alone cannot counter extremism without the cooperation of religious leaders. “Some elements have misused religion to spread chaos and held the state hostage in the name of protest,” she said, calling such tendencies “poison for society.”

The chief minister reiterated that the state will not allow any disruptive elements to take root. “Holding oppressors accountable is the responsibility of the state, and no fitna will be allowed to flourish,” she added.

Notably, the honorarium will be suspended immediately for any imam found involved in activities against national interests or implicated in moral or financial misconduct.