LAHORE: Secretary and Chief Administrator Auqaf Punjab Dr Ehsan Bhutta has urged Imams and Khateebs to play a broader role in promoting religious harmony, social cohesion and positive values, saying their responsibilities extend beyond leading prayers and delivering Friday sermons. Addressing the concluding ceremony of the 45th Quarterly Refresher Training Course for Imams and Khateebs at Aiwan-e-Auqaf in Lahore, Bhutta said the pulpit and mihrab were important platforms for the religious, moral, intellectual and spiritual development of society. He said 19 Khateebs from different parts of Punjab had successfully completed the mandatory three-month training programme required for promotion to the next grade. The course, he added, was designed not only to support professional progression but also to strengthen the participants’ religious knowledge, intellectual abilities, research skills and professional competence. Bhutta stressed that religious scholars must remain equipped to respond to emerging social challenges, changing societal needs and contemporary intellectual and jurisprudential questions. He called for greater emphasis on research, communication skills and modern approaches to religious guidance. The Auqaf secretary urged Khateebs to use Friday sermons, religious gatherings and public interactions to foster unity among Muslims, interfaith harmony, tolerance, brotherhood and mutual respect. He also called upon them to help counter sectarianism, extremism, intolerance, hate speech and divisions based on language or group identity. He said Islam promotes peace, justice, compassion, human dignity and harmonious relations within society. Religious scholars, he added, should present the teachings of the Holy Quran, Sunnah and Seerah of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in a wise and meaningful manner while keeping contemporary circumstances in view. Referring to the growing influence of digital platforms, Bhutta said social media and other modern communication tools had become powerful means of shaping public opinion. He encouraged Imams and Khateebs to use these platforms responsibly to communicate the peaceful and universal message of Islam, particularly to young people and audiences around the world. He further urged religious scholars to contribute to efforts against misinformation, inflammatory material, hate speech and sectarian propaganda by promoting well-reasoned and constructive content. Bhutta said the Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department was continuing reforms aimed at improving transparency, merit and good governance in the management of mosques, shrines and Khanqahs. The department was also working to improve the welfare of Imams and Khateebs, expand their intellectual and professional training and enhance the quality of religious services. He said that under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s “Magnificent Punjab” vision, the department was stepping up efforts to strengthen peace, religious harmony, tolerance and positive social values across the province. He added that under the supervision of Chief Secretary Punjab Zahid Akhtar Zaman, administrative reforms, departmental performance and public facilitation initiatives were being made more systematic, effective and results-oriented.
