Rs 25,000 a month for mosque imams

The Chief Minister Punjab Honorarium Card for Imam Masjid pays Rs 25,000 a month to the imam of each registered mosque in Punjab. Its Urdu name is وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب اعزازیہ کارڈ برائے امام مسجد, which people write in many ways: *Aizazia card, Azazia card, Azizia card, Izazia card*. Aizazia (اعزازیہ) simply means honorarium. It is widely called the imam masjid wazifa.

The scheme is run by the Punjab Home Department, not the Auqaf Department. Payments go into a Bank of Punjab account and are withdrawn with the card at Bank of Punjab ATMs.

At a glance

Who is eligible

Under the policy notified in January 2026, the honorarium goes to:

• A serving imam who leads all five daily congregational prayers at the mosque
• One imam per mosque only
• Who has submitted the signed Home Department "MOSQUES Form-2"

It is open to imams of all schools of thought. By March 2026 the approved list included Barelvi, Deobandi, Ahl-e-Hadith and Shia imams.

Who cannot get it

• Proscribed persons, and anyone on the Fourth Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act 1997
• Anyone charged with or convicted of a heinous crime or moral turpitude
• Anyone under trial in a terrorism case

The policy provides for one imam per mosque. It makes no provision for muezzins or khateebs.

How to register

1. 1The imam fills in and signs MOSQUES Form-2 of the Home Department.
2. 2The form is submitted at the office of the Assistant Commissioner (AC) of the tehsil. Special desks were set up in AC offices for this.
3. 3The AC's office enters it on the Home Department's internal system.
4. 4The application is verified at district level, then by the Special Branch and the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), and against NADRA records.
5. 5Once cleared, a Bank of Punjab account is opened and the Aizazia card is issued through the tehsil or AC office.

A second phase of registration began on 27 January 2026 for mosques missed in the first round, including all districts of Rawalpindi Division. If your mosque's imam is not registered yet, go to your AC office and ask about registration.

Is there an online portal?

No. There is no public "imam masjid wazifa portal" and no online application form. Registration is done only through the Assistant Commissioner's office. Websites offering "imam masjid card online apply" or "Auqaf registration", or asking for your CNIC, are not official. Do not pay anyone to "add your name to the list".

There is also no public list of imams and no SMS service to check your name. To check your status, ask at your AC office or use the Home Department WhatsApp line below.

Payments and the BOP card

• The first payment, in January 2026, was handed out by pay order at district and tehsil offices.
• From February 2026, the honorarium has been paid monthly into the imam's Bank of Punjab account and withdrawn with the Aizazia card at Bank of Punjab ATMs.
• The Bank of Punjab carries out a biometric "proof of life" check twice a year. Make sure the imam attends it, or payments can stop.
• An independent third party checks the list every year. Any amount paid wrongly is recovered as arrears of land revenue.

September 2026 payment

Over Rs 9 billion had been paid by early August 2026, and the Home Department described payments as continuing without interruption. In July 2026 the government called social media reports that the scheme had been suspended "baseless". As of 24 September 2026 we have found no official announcement of any delay to the September payment. If your payment has not arrived, check the Bank of Punjab account linked to your card, then use the helpline below.

Helpline and complaints

• Home Department WhatsApp: 0311-4340000. The Home Department gave this number in July 2026 for status checks, correct information and payment complaints.
• Bank of Punjab contact centre: 111-267-200. For card, PIN and ATM problems only.
• Your Assistant Commissioner's office handles registration and status.

Other "imam masjid card helpline" numbers circulating online, such as 042-9905-8000 or 1717, do not appear in any official source we could find.

If the honorarium is refused or stopped

You can make a representation to the Deputy Commissioner. It is heard with the district police, Special Branch, CTD and Auqaf present. The District Intelligence Committee reviews it, and the Home Department takes the final decision.

When the honorarium stops

• The imam leaves the post, is removed by the mosque committee, or dies. The honorarium is not inherited by family members.
• Allegations of hate speech or anti-state activity are substantiated after a hearing.
• The Chief Minister has said payment will also stop for moral or financial misconduct.

Frequently asked questions

What is the "Azizia card" or "Azazia card" for imams?

It is the same scheme: the Aizazia (honorarium) card that carries the Rs 25,000 monthly payment. The different spellings all come from the Urdu word اعزازیہ.

Can I apply for the imam masjid wazifa online?

No. There is no online application. Registration is only through the Assistant Commissioner's office with MOSQUES Form-2.

Does the muezzin also get Rs 25,000?

No. The policy covers one imam per mosque. It does not cover muezzins or khateebs.

What is the Punjab government spending on this?

About Rs 21 billion a year for roughly 69,000 imams. Some reports have quoted "Rs 1.2 billion annually", but that figure is far too low: 69,000 imams at Rs 25,000 a month comes to about Rs 20.7 billion a year.

Sources

• The News, 29 January 2026: Punjab rolls out imam honorarium with tightened vetting framework. The notified policy: eligibility, Form-2, exclusions, appeals.
• Radio Pakistan, 8 January 2026: CM Punjab inaugurates distribution of honorarium cards for Aima-e-Masajid
• The Express Tribune, 27 January 2026: Second phase of imam registration begins
• APP, 29 April 2026: Punjab spends over Rs20b annually on mosque imams honorarium program
• Pakistan Observer, 20 July 2026: Punjab govt warns against social media rumours. WhatsApp 0311-4340000.
• Radio Pakistan, 4 August 2026: Rs9b disbursed under CM Punjab honorarium programme for mosque imams
• The Nation, 5 August 2026: Rs9b disbursed so far among registered imams. Rs 21 billion allocation.