THE Punjab Government on Wednesday announced the handing over of administrative control of the mosques and seminaries previously run by the proscribed Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) to a group of moderate religious leaders.
Earlier, there were plans to transfer the administrative control of 300 mosques and 125 seminaries run by the TLP in the province to the Auqaf Department, but the decision was reviewed at the instance of religious circles. In another positive gesture, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif also ordered the release of those arrested TLP workers who were found innocent during investigations.
The decisions of the Chief Minister would surely help improve the overall environment in the province as uneasy calm prevails in the wake of an operation against the TLP, which has been declared as a proscribed organization. According to some reports, the Punjab Police had arrested about six thousand TLP activists and release of those not involved in violence will mitigate tension in the province. In a meeting with the Ittehad Bainul Muslimeen Committee, it was decided that the administration of the TLP-run mosques and seminaries would be handed over to the Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahle Sunnat Pakistan led by Mufti Muneebur Rehman. Hopefully, Tanzeem-ul-Madaris will run these mosques as per true spirit of Islam and no mosque will be used for the spread of hatred. Mosques and seminaries have an important role in helping people order their lives in accordance with the teachings of Islam and they should not deviate from this responsibility.
