MANSEHRA – Days after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa cabinet approved Rs10,000 monthly stipend for prayer leaders of the province, a group of clerics belonging to Deoband school of thought termed the move as haram (forbidden).
Around 300 clerics issued the decree during a meeting organized by the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl on Friday, barring the prayer leaders from receiving the stipend.
Acting provincial emir of the JUI-F Mufti Kifayatullah said that the plan to pay stipend to clerics was part of an ‘international conspiracy’.
He accused the KP government led by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of receiving foreign funding through international nongovernmental organisations in order to buy loyalties of clerics. He vowed to continue raising his voice against the KP government’s decision.
The JUI-F also announced a decision to hold the Imam Conference on Feb 5 to persuade prayer leaders from all schools of thought to reject monthly stipends.
Meanwhile, the ruling PTI has rejected the declaration, terming it unjustified and unwarranted.
Earlier this month, the KP cabinet announced a stipend for prayer leaders of jamia mosques in the province with effect from February 2018.
The prayer leaders having proper degrees from any of the five recognised boards of seminaries will be entitled to the stipend.
It is also mandatory that the prayer leaders must be permanent residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This stipend will be directly transferred to the accounts of eligible imams for which modalities are being worked out.
