SRINAGAR: J&K Waqf Board has decided to constitute a core committee comprising imams and religious scholars to finalize common themes for sermons across mosques and shrines on Fridays and other religious occasions.Board chairperson Dr Syed Darakhshan Andrabi told TOI that the decision was taken at a meeting on Saturday following suggestions from imams and Islamic scholars. Around 1,500 muftis, imams, and Islamic scholars attended the meeting.Andrabi added that govt officials have no role in the decision. “The committee will be solely responsible for identifying the issue regarding the uniform sermon,” she said, adding that the move is necessary to deal with issues in the UT, especially social evils, including drug abuse.

“There are several sects in J&K and people are associated with different schools of thought. We have no issue with anyone’s sectarian affiliation, and we do not intend to interfere in it. But we don’t want to divide society based on sects,” she added.“I believe a mosque should be a centre for learning and religious knowledge, and this step will help with that a great deal,” she said.