The Auqaf Department of the Islamabad Capital Territory on Thursday linked payment of the outstanding amount of Rs 22.599 million on account of utility bills of 86 mosques with provision of requisite funds. The department had repeatedly asked the concerned ministry for release of funds so they could pay arrears accumulating in the last 20 years.
An official said that Rs 11.539 million was outstanding for Sui gas bills while Rs 11.061 million was for electricity bills. The official said around Rs 5 million were allocated each year but they were not sufficient to clear outstanding bills. As soon as the required funds were provided by the government through a supplementary grant, the mosques’ outstanding utility bills would be paid and cleared.
