Shrine donations audit

Supreme Court has ordered an audit on the donations collected at Punjab shrines


Editorial October 16, 2018

In a galvanising and progressive move, the Supreme Court has ordered an audit on the donations — or chanda — collected at Punjab shrines. Business matters pertaining to faith, due heightened sensitivities and fear of backlash and violence, have existed unchecked since the inception of this country. This is a rare decision by an authority and we welcome it widely hoping other provinces face similar scrutiny.

Honourable Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar has a point. Large collections are made at Punjab shrines, amounting to Rs820 million per annum, according to the case prosecutor. The Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department needs to be held accountable as it is responsible for overseeing financial and operational matters at shrines. Banned outfits have been linked to shrines and madrassas in the past, necessitating review of funding sources as well as the funding’s eventual fate. It is a pity to intimate this but the department, despite working closely with religious entities, comes under the government, which embodies low trust and integrity given its track record. Similar to government departments, the prosecutor maintains that a high portion of collections is allocated towards salaries and pensions. The functioning of government entities parallels the shrines in that public funds are collected but the public does not subsequently gain short-or long-term benefits.

Separately, the case of the missing shoe, Nalain Mubarak of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from the Badshahi Mosque is inexplicable. When Pakistan acquired it in 2001, the relic went missing within approximately a year. Some 16 years later, authorities are still scratching their heads. We laud the Supreme Court for taking note of both issues. The latter, especially, is an embarrassment. If we cannot safeguard sacred relics, including those at other religious and cultural heritage sites ransacked in the past, then we certainly require intervention by the highest authority in the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2018.

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