New Policy Being Finalized for Allotment of Plots for Mosques in Pakistani Capital
The Authority has stopped the action on fresh applications for allotment of Masajid (mosques) plots, especially in the new residential sectors, due to lack of a clear policy in this regard, sources in the Authority said on Monday.
They said the mosques were put in different categories as ‘Qadeemi Masajid’, mosques built on encroached land, mosques in developing sectors and encroachment by the mosques, before finding a solution to the problem, usually arising out of the difference on sect, vested interests and tendency of occupying the state land.
Giving a background of the anomalies in the allotment of plots for the mosques at present, a senior official at the CDA said, on condition of anonymity that the people whose land has been acquired for developing new sectors usually do not let the plot owners manage mosque’s affairs in the said sector. "Usually they (allottees) would try to run affairs of the mosque at their ancestral land they surrendered to the Authority for developing new sectors an attitude that is not acceptable for the plot owners. This situation has always created problems for the authorities concerned”, he said. Under the new policy, the plot owners would be given preference and plot would be handed over to the community. "Under the new policy, DC Islamabad would recommend the sect of the mosque and send the case to CDA for allotment of plot for the mosque,” he added.
Giving further details about the policy, the official said that the Authority would try to accommodate ‘Qadeemi Masajid’ with new plots in the developing sectors. If these masajid are in the right of way, they will be relocated to some proper location, he said. Similarly, mosques built on the state land would be relocated to some other place.
On the issue of ‘increasing’ trend of encroaching upon state land by the masajid administration, the official said that the administrations would be asked to voluntarily vacate the encroached land before deciding for a crackdown to retrieve the land, he said.
The policy would soon be put before the CDA Board for its approval, the official said.
Source: The Nation
