MANSEHRA: Around 300 clerics from Deoband school of thought on Friday declared the Rs10,000 monthly stipend paid by the provincial government to prayer leaders haram (forbidden).

The declaration was made during a function organised by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl here.

Acting provincial emir of the JUI-F Mufti Kifayatullah told participants that the joint decree had barred prayer leaders from receiving the government stipend by declaring it haram.

He said the payment was planned under an ‘international conspiracy’ against clerics.

The JUI-F leader said the PTI government had secured money from international nongovernmental organisations to ‘buy’ loyalties of clerics and therefore, his party and religious scholars would raise voice against the move.

Another speaker, Maulana Saeed Abdullah, said the Imam Conference would be organised here on Feb 5 to persuade prayer leaders from all schools of thought to reject monthly stipend.

Meanwhile, the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf rejected the decree declaring it unjustified and unwarranted.

PTI Youth Wing president Mohammad Nisar told reporters that the government had been paying monthly stipend to prayer leaders to help them manage their household affairs well.

He said the JUI-F should stop spreading false propaganda against the stipend’s payment.

RESIGNATIONS THREATENED: The members of an 11-strong committee formed by the chief minister to oversee the affairs of New Balakot City housing project have warned they will step down if plots are not allotted to over 400 earthquake-affected families within a week.

“The Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority has long been delaying the issuance of plot allotment letters to the 2005 earthquake survivors.

If the allotment doesn’t begin within a week, we will step down,” committee member Mohammad Safdar Awan told reporters in Balakot on Friday.

Mr Awan said both the provincial and federal governments should fulfil their respective commitments made to the earthquake survivors from time to time on plot allotments.

RECORD BURNT: A fire partially burnt the record of land in Garhi Habibullah and adjacent union councils on Thursday night.

The incident took place at the local patwar khanna (revenue offices).

The people put out the fire by using water and soil.

Garhi Habibullah police station SHO Gul Nawaz told reporters that an investigation had been launched to ascertain the cause of fire.

He said the preliminary investigation revealed that the fire broke out after an unidentified person threw a lit cigarette at seat cushions.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2018