PUNJAB Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has taken revolutionary measures to improve the lot of Imams (those who lead prayers in mosques) and promote good governance and end the red tape in the province.
Chairing a meeting in Lahore, she directed the authorities concerned to introduce a monthly stipend for prayer leaders of 65,000 mosques across the province — a first-of-its-kind initiative in Pakistan’s history. The CM also presided over another special meeting to introduce the e-Business Project, a key initiative of the government for paperless governance and digital transformation across Punjab, directing the authorities concerned that a two-week timeline should be strictly observed for all e-Business related processes. It was decided to provide NOCs and necessary approvals under one roof within stipulated timeframe to ensure swift facilitation for businesses in the province.
Pakistan is an Islamic State and Article-31 of the 1973 Constitution states that the State shall take steps to enable Muslims to order their lives in accordance with the teachings of Islam. This includes facilitating the understanding of the Holy Quran and Sunnah, making the teaching of Islam compulsory, promoting unity and Islamic moral standards as well as organizing institutions like Zakat, Ushr and mosques. With this in view, effective steps should have been taken much earlier at the national level for proper propagation of Islam and betterment of the lot of those who are engaged in this noble mission. The Punjab Government, therefore, deserves credit for taking a lead and moving towards this cherished objective by announcing payment of monthly stipend to prayer leaders and upkeep of mosques in the province. No details are yet available as to the amount to be paid as a stipend and whether the figure of 65000 covers all mosques in the largest province of the country but it is hoped the stipend will be enough to help prayer leaders and their families to lead a dignified life. This is because presently prayer leaders and their assistants have unreliable source of income as they are paid out of local donations, which are not adequate to meet even their basic needs. The Chief Minister has rightly pointed out that prayer leaders are highly respected members of society and it is inappropriate for local communities to rely on donations to pay them, declaring the provincial government will take responsibility for providing financial support to them to ensure their dignity and welfare. It is also a fact that prayer leaders remain at the mercy of local mosque committees that arrange funds, making them vulnerable to pressures and blackmail. It is also important that prayer leaders are enrolled for the stipend in a transparent process so that there is no denial of the right to genuine Imams. Similarly, the decision to include repair and maintenance of mosques in the annual development programme will also go a long way in ensuring dignity of these places of worship. The Chief Minister is also determined to implement the e-business initiative in a swift but comprehensive manner. All departments and district administrations have been asked to make quick decisions on e-Business applications for which they will receive additional performance scores and she will herself chair review meetings every 15 days to monitor progress. Proper implementation of the e-Business plan has the potential to bring about an overnight change and quick-start economic activities in the length and breadth of the province. There are, of course, immense opportunities for accelerating the pace of socio-economic development provided an enabling environment is created and the e-Business plan offers an opportunity for expeditious approvals and grant of NOCs as against the current procedure that, sometime, takes years. It is relevant to point out that the e-Business Portal of the provincial government has already received close to 2878 applications, out of which 1130 have successfully been approved through the digital system. This speaks volumes about the efficacy of the new system.
