Lahore: Punjab Minister for Auqaf and Religious Affairs Chaudhry Shafay Hussain on Friday visited the Quran Complex on Upper Mall, where he, along with Punjab Quran Board Chairman Hafiz Zubair Hassan, presided over a meeting of the Punjab Quran Board.
The meeting discussed an eight-point agenda and approved the formation of five committees comprising religious scholars (Ulema) to address key issues related to the protection, publication and promotion of the Holy Quran.
One committee will examine delays in the registration of printing institutions as publishers with the Punjab Quran Board. Another will monitor printing errors in copies of the Holy Quran, while a third will deal with incidents of disrespect and derogatory content involving Quranic verses on social media.
A special committee was constituted to oversee the respectful purification (ghusl) and preservation of copies of the Holy Quran currently in the custody of the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA). The committee will also propose amendments to the relevant law concerning the protection and preservation of the sacred pages of the Holy Quran.
The board also recommended banning the controversial book ‘Ajnabiyat’, which has been circulating on social media, and called for legal and disciplinary action against those responsible.
It was further decided to establish a dedicated cell within the Punjab Quran Board to promptly address emerging issues.
Addressing the meeting, Chaudhry Shafay Hussain said promoting the teachings of the Holy Quran was the responsibility of every Muslim. He urged people to read the Holy Quran with translation to better understand its message and called upon religious scholars to actively promote this practice.
The minister directed that strict vigilance be maintained against disrespectful, provocative and hate-based content involving Quranic verses on social media and instructed religious scholars to identify and report such material.
He also asked the Punjab Quran Board to achieve its assigned targets within the stipulated timeframe.
He said the Holy Quran was the most widely read sacred book in the world and had been translated into numerous languages. Islam, he added, is a religion of peace that promotes harmony and security, stressing that the Muslim world must unite to counter anti-Islam elements.
The minister said the Quran Complex would be fully utilized for the promotion of Islamic teachings.
He informed the meeting that efforts were underway to establish ‘Khatam-un-Nabiyeen University’ at the complex and expressed hope that academic activities would commence soon.
He also said the park and surrounding grounds of the complex were being upgraded.
He further directed that officers from the relevant government departments be included in the newly formed committees.
Punjab Quran Board Chairman Hafiz Zubair Hassan said safeguarding the Holy Quran was a religious, moral and constitutional obligation, adding that the board would discharge this responsibility in the best possible manner.
Auqaf Secretary Dr Ahsan Bhatta assured the meeting that the objectives of the Punjab Quran Board would be implemented in letter and spirit and that all recommendations approved by the forum would be acted upon.
The meeting also reviewed a proposal to increase the honorarium of board members.
Special prayers were offered at the conclusion of the meeting for the peace, progress and prosperity of the country.