Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif formally inaugurated the “Chief Minister Punjab Rs25,000 Honorarium Card for Imam Masjid Sahiban” at a ceremony attended by hundreds of mosque imams.

She said nearly 70,000 applications have already been received from different districts of Punjab, showing strong response to the welfare initiative.

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Under the scheme, Rs25,000 will be transferred every month directly into the bank accounts of registered imams, ensuring regular and transparent financial support.

The chief minister said the card issuance process will be completed by February 2026. Until then, payments will be made through pay orders. After that, all payments will be routed through the Honorarium Card and can be withdrawn from Bank of Punjab ATMs.

She said the Punjab government will spend more than Rs1,200,000,000 every year on this program, calling it a major step towards social welfare.

CM Maryam Nawaz highlighted the importance of Ulema in society and said religious scholars deserve dignity and recognition. She noted that Punjab has nearly 80,000 mosques belonging to all sects.

Addressing criticism, she said false propaganda was spread against the honorarium cards. She clarified that the scheme is transparent and meant to promote religious harmony and social stability.

She stressed that stopping religious hatred is a shared duty. “Some elements have misused religion to spread chaos and held the state hostage in the name of protest,” she said, calling such actions “poison for society.”

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The chief minister warned that the state will not tolerate disruptive forces. She added that the honorarium will be immediately stopped for any imam involved in activities against national interests or in moral or financial misconduct.