Meeting requirements: Place mosques under the control of religious ministry, ICT
Lack of resources cited as the main reason for the request.
ISLAMABAD:
The Islamabad administration has written a letter to the Ministry of Interior requesting it to transfer the administrative control of 80 mosques to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, it has been learnt. Religious sites and mosques currently fall under the control of the Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) Auqaf Directorate.
In a letter to the interior ministry, ICT stated that the Auqaf Directorate, which comprises three officials headed by a deputy director, was not capable of controlling the affairs of the mosques. Furthermore, the letter claimed that the directorate also has administrative control of the shrines and given its current capacity, it is not capable handling these sites.
However, if the administrative control of mosques cannot be shifted to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, then the “government should strengthen the Auqaf Directorate by expanding human resources and providing financial support,” added the letter.
Currently there is no proper mechanism for the appointment of a khateeb (one who delivers the Friday sermon and leads prayers) and moazzan (one who calls for prayers).
Moreover, due to lack of finances the Auqaf department failed to pay Rs9 million electricity and Rs5.5 million gas bills, an official of the Islamabad administration told The Express Tribune. He confirmed that mosques did not fall under the domain of the district administration anywhere in the country except the capital.
The official said that it was Interior Ministry’s responsibility to ensure that the Capital Development Authority controls illegal construction of mosques, shrines and seminaries in the capital.
Meanwhile, a notification was issued by the Senate Secretariat on Monday stating that the reasons for non-release of mosques’ utility bills by the Ministry of Finance would be discussed in its meeting on Tuesday (today).
Chief Commissioner Islamabad Tariq Mahmood Pirzada will brief the committee about the exact number of mosques under the administrative control of the Auqaf department, along with the criteria for constructing new mosques in the capital.
The role and responsibility of the ICT administration in payment of utility bills of the mosques, details of the khateebs/moazzans on the payroll of Auqaf, duration of their postings at their present positions along with reasons of overstay, appointments, transfer criteria and procedures will also form part of the briefing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2011.
The Islamabad administration has written a letter to the Ministry of Interior requesting it to transfer the administrative control of 80 mosques to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, it has been learnt. Religious sites and mosques currently fall under the control of the Islamabad Capital Territory’s (ICT) Auqaf Directorate.
In a letter to the interior ministry, ICT stated that the Auqaf Directorate, which comprises three officials headed by a deputy director, was not capable of controlling the affairs of the mosques. Furthermore, the letter claimed that the directorate also has administrative control of the shrines and given its current capacity, it is not capable handling these sites.
However, if the administrative control of mosques cannot be shifted to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, then the “government should strengthen the Auqaf Directorate by expanding human resources and providing financial support,” added the letter.
Currently there is no proper mechanism for the appointment of a khateeb (one who delivers the Friday sermon and leads prayers) and moazzan (one who calls for prayers).
Moreover, due to lack of finances the Auqaf department failed to pay Rs9 million electricity and Rs5.5 million gas bills, an official of the Islamabad administration told The Express Tribune. He confirmed that mosques did not fall under the domain of the district administration anywhere in the country except the capital.
The official said that it was Interior Ministry’s responsibility to ensure that the Capital Development Authority controls illegal construction of mosques, shrines and seminaries in the capital.
Meanwhile, a notification was issued by the Senate Secretariat on Monday stating that the reasons for non-release of mosques’ utility bills by the Ministry of Finance would be discussed in its meeting on Tuesday (today).
Chief Commissioner Islamabad Tariq Mahmood Pirzada will brief the committee about the exact number of mosques under the administrative control of the Auqaf department, along with the criteria for constructing new mosques in the capital.
The role and responsibility of the ICT administration in payment of utility bills of the mosques, details of the khateebs/moazzans on the payroll of Auqaf, duration of their postings at their present positions along with reasons of overstay, appointments, transfer criteria and procedures will also form part of the briefing.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2011.