Renowned preacher Maulana Tariq Jamil has rubbished claims that he received a hefty amount to officiate what is being dubbed as “Pakistan’s most expensive wedding ceremony”.
The Master Tiles-Jalal Sons wedding from earlier this month has been making headlines for its extravagant style and featuring several Pakistani celebrities in addition to a troupe of foreign gymnasts.
“By the tawfīq of Allah, I have traveled around 6 continents to preach the message of Allah and I have been preaching the life of our Prophet ﷺ to the Ummah for a very long time. The hurdle in our advancement is our moral decline,” Jamil said in a Facebook post.
“My message for those who accused me of taking money for performing Nikāh is that in the journey of preaching the message of Allah I have performed Nikāh of thousands of boys and girls for the sake of Allah,” he added.
Jamil went on to say that Sheikh Mahmood of Master Tiles was an old friend of his. “How can I take money for performing Nikāh of his daughter on his invitation? May Allah protect us all from distrust and false accusations.”
Earlier, it was reported that the preacher was paid Rs1 million rupees (Rs10 lacs) for his services.
The claim had come as owner of Master Tiles landed on the Federal Board Revenue (FBR) radar for spending Rs2 billion on the wedding ceremony.
A probe was conducted by the FBR into the “service providers involved in the lavish arrangements” to detect possible tax evasion. The document shared by the FBR said that Rosa Blanca Country Club, the venue of baraat located on Raiwind Road in Lahore, was paid Rs150 million for the premises.
It, however, was just the tip of the iceberg.
