SIALKOT: The Punjab government has taken over the administrative control of Al-Noor Masjid and sealed a religious seminary adjacent to the mosque.

A team of local officials along with a large contingent of police, led by Assistant Commissioner Waqar Akbar Cheema, on Tuesday sealed Madressah Abdullah Bin Mubarak and took over administrative control of Masjid Al-Noor in Mundeyki Goraya village near Daska.

Both establishments were said to be the local headquarters of Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM).

The local administration of Daska also fixed banners on the gates of the mosque and seminary mentioning taking over of their official control by the Punjab government.

Sialkot District Peace Committee Chairman Hafiz Muhammad Asghar and auqaf department Administrator Shahid Hameed Virk were also present on the occasion.

Daska-based JeM activist Chaudhry Arshad Ali, a former chairman of Daska municipality, was running the administrative and financial affairs of the mosque and seminary.

Hafiz Asghar assumed temporary charge of the administration of the mosque till the appointment of a regular administrator.

According to local administration officials, the seminary was involved in subversive activities because of which the Gujranwala Counter Terrorism Department had registered a case under the terrorism act on Jan 14, 2016 against the seminary management.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2019