ISLAMABAD, Sept 18: The government announced on Sunday that it would pay stipends to the religious scholars who joined its family planning programme. The government would pay Rs1,200 a month to scholars and prayer leaders who promoted family planning, said Population Welfare Minister Shahbaz Hussain.

They would also be asked to sign up for a training programme on birth control, Mr Hussain told reporters in Lahore.

“The objective of the programme is to tackle population issues with the help of religious scholars in the country like some other Muslim countries (do),” Mr Hussain said.—AFP

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