LAHORE:The Punjab government has disbursed Rs14.5 billion in honorarium to mosque imams since January 2026 under the Chief Minister’s Honorarium Programme, while registration of more than 76,000 mosques has been completed across the province. The progress was reviewed at the fifth meeting of the programme’s steering committee, chaired by Provincial Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on Law and Order Khawaja Salman Rafique at the Punjab Home Department on Tuesday.
The meeting was briefed that the process of geo-tagging mosques was continuing at a fast pace with the assistance of field administration. The Bank of Punjab and the Punjab Information Technology Board were directed to resolve issues related to the online application promptly. Khawaja Salman Rafique said the Punjab government was providing more than Rs20 billion annually under the honorarium programme. He expressed the hope that its positive impact would benefit future generations, adding that mosque imams played an important role in promoting peace, tolerance and positive social values through their sermons. Punjab Home Secretary Dr Ahmad Javed Qazi said the department was closely monitoring the programme and overseeing its operational matters. He said the honorarium disbursement system had been made transparent and accessible, while complaints received through the online portal were being addressed promptly. He added that the Home Department was introducing a chatbot to provide mosque imams with timely answ
ers to their queries and guidance on issues related to the programme.
The meeting was also informed that mosque imams should ensure at least one transaction every three months to keep their bank accounts active and facilitate uninterrupted disbursement of the honorarium. Home Special Secretary Faisal Farid, Punjab Information Technology Board Chief Executive Officer Syed Qasim Afzal, Bank of Punjab Head of Transactions Sharjeel Raza Khan, Punjab Charities Commission Chief Executive Officer Col. Shehzad Amir, and other relevant officials attended the meeting.