LAHORE: The Punjab Auqaf Department has directed to arrange visits of newly-established historical galleries at Auqaf model shrines to promote and familiarise devotees, students, teachers and the public with Sufi saints’ teachings, Islamic civilisation and Punjab’s religious and spiritual heritage.
Chairing a zonal administrators’ conference at Aiwan-iAuqaf on Wednesday, Punjab Auqaf Secretary and Chief Administrator Dr Ehsan Bhutta directed the administrators and field officers to engage schools, colleges,educationalinstitutions and offices in their respective jurisdictions and invite them for organised educational and informational visits to these galleries.
These would enable younger generations to learn about theLAHORE: The Punjab Auqaf Department has directed to arrange visits of newly-established historical galleries at Auqaf model shrines to promote and familiarise devotees, students, teachers and the public with Sufi saints’ teachings, Islamic civilisation and Punjab’s religious and spiritual heritage.
Chairing a zonal administrators’ conference at Aiwan-iAuqaf on Wednesday, Punjab Auqaf Secretary and Chief Administrator Dr Ehsan Bhutta directed the administrators and field officers to engage schools, colleges,educationalinstitutions and offices in their respective jurisdictions and invite them for organised educational and informational visits to these galleries.
These would enable younger generations to learn about theprofound religious, spiritual, intellectual and social contributions of the revered Sufi saints through rare historical photographs and authentic archival material, he added.
Mr Bhutta said the historic shrines were not merely places of devotion but enduring custodians of centuries-old spiritual, religious and cultural heritage, and emphasised that this heritage should be presented to the public in an engaging and accessible manner.
The secretary directed timely completion of ongoing commercial, developmental and construction projects on Auqaf land, disposal of waqf land through auction within the prescribed timelines, expeditious resolution of matters relating to the transfer and possession of waqf properties, achievement of monthly targets assigned by the head office, continuous improvement indepartmental performance, and regular updating of the litigation portal. He stressed that sustained follow-up meetings, comprehensive planning and effeetive implementation of prescribed targets were indispensable for accelerating departmental development, while measures aimed at enhancing departmental revenue and re ceipt s were being made increasingly result-oriented.
Dr Bhutta said the speciallydesigned boxes prepared by the Quran Board for the respectful preservation ofsacred papersbe installed at prominent locations at Auqaf shrines and mosques.
He emphasised effective and continuous monitoring of major shrines across Punjab through the modern command and control centre established at the Aiwan-i-Auqaf, Lahore, with the objective of strengthening administrative oversight, security and service delivery throughmodern technology.
Taking serious notice of zones that had failed to achieve their prescribed targets, including Rawalpindi, Multan, Lahore East, Lahore West, Pakpattan and Dera Ghazi Khan, the secretary directed the field officers concerned to ensure achievement of all monthly targets within the stipulated timelines, warning that negligence or failure would invite disciplinary action in accordance with departmental rules and regulations.
He said the performance of officers and officials would be reviewed regularly on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis to enhance their professional capacity and make the department more proactive, efficient and results-oriented.
Besides those present in the meeting, several zonal administrators participated through video-link.