LAHORE: The Punjab government has notified a comprehensive honorarium policy for mosque imams under the “Wazeer-e-A‘ala Punjab Ay’Zazya Program Baraye Imam Masjid Sahibaan,” providing a monthly stipend of Rs25,000 through a tightly regulated framework combining welfare support with intelligence clearance, digital payments, biometric verification, third-party validation and a multi-tier accountability and appeals mechanism. The cabinet-cleared programme will be launched from January 1, 2026, following province-wide mosque enumeration, phased data collection and security screening.
Under the policy, only a serving imam who leads congregational prayers five times a day and submits a duly signed Home Department MOSQUES Form-2 will be eligible. Applications are to be filed with assistant commissioners, who will ensure digitisation on the Home Department portal. Only one imam per mosque may receive the honorarium, and eligibility ceases immediately if an imam leaves office, is removed by a lawful mosque management committee or competent authority or dies. The honorarium is explicitly declared non-heritable, with each case to be assessed independently.
The policy bars proscribed persons, those placed on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, individuals challaned or convicted for scheduled heinous or moral crimes, and those under trial in terrorism cases. The schedule of offences includes crimes against the state and national security, property offences involving dishonesty or fraud, violent crimes causing bodily harm and offences reflecting moral turpitude, particularly against women and children, with detailed legal sections to be finalised by the steering committee.
Digitised data of applicants will be shared electronically with the Special Branch and Counter-Terrorism Department. If either agency raises objections, mandatory re-verification will be conducted to avoid error. Imams cleared during re-verification will be included, while those not recommended may submit representations before the deputy commissioner. District Intelligence Committees will examine such cases and forward reasoned recommendations to the Home Department, which will take final decisions through the Provincial Intelligence Committee.
Cleared beneficiaries will receive Rs25,000 per month, or any revised amount approved by the government, through the Bank of Punjab. Payments will be made either via direct bank transfer or through a dedicated debit instrument titled the “Wazeer-e-A‘ala Punjab Ay’Zazya Card Baraye Imam Masjid Sahib,” to be topped up monthly. January 2026 payments may be issued through pay orders, with card-based disbursements commencing from February 2026.
The policy prescribes strict conduct conditions. Allegations of hate-mongering or anti-state rhetoric will trigger a hearing at the deputy commissioner’s office in the presence of district police, Special Branch, CTD and Auqaf representatives. If allegations are disproved, payments will continue; if substantiated, the District Intelligence Committee will recommend discontinuation, which the Home Department will enforce immediately through the Bank of Punjab, while also placing the matter before the Divisional Intelligence Committee.
To safeguard public funds, the policy mandates annual third-party validation funded by the Punjab government to independently verify beneficiaries, payments and compliance.
The Bank of Punjab will also conduct biometric verification of all beneficiaries twice yearly as “proof of life,” similar to pension systems, with verification costs borne by the government. Any excessive or unauthorised payments will be recovered by district collectors as arrears of land revenue.
