Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has approved a new mechanism to deliver monthly honorarium payments to mosque imams across the province starting January 1.
The decision was finalized in a meeting on Tuesday, where officials endorsed the Chief Minister Imam Masjid Honorarium Card, which will become the primary channel for future payments.
Authorities plan to complete card issuance by February 2026. Until then, payments will be issued via pay orders, with the honorarium cards becoming fully functional from February 1.
Officials informed the chief minister that 62,994 registration forms have been received from imams across Punjab, and verification efforts are underway.
Maryam Nawaz directed that registrations continue and instructed authorities to suspend payments immediately for any imam found engaged in activities against national interest or involved in moral or financial misconduct.
The system will be overseen by newly formed mosque management committees and tehsil management committees to ensure transparency.
The chief minister also ordered monthly meetings between assistant commissioners and local imams to review security-related matters, including monitoring of sensitive areas and individuals on the Fourth Schedule.
She added that ongoing operations against illegally residing Afghan nationals will continue.
