Unlike Sindh, provincial governments of Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have yet to complete the Madrassah registration and reform process - a major component of National Action Plan (NAP) formulated to counter terrorism in the country, sources said.
A senior official of National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) said that registration and regularisation of seminaries is one of the important components of NAP and Sindh government has approved Sindh Madrassah Registration Bill, 2016. However, he said that provincial governments of Punjab, Balochistan and KP so far have not introduced any bill regarding registration of seminaries or released any working on such a bill.
He claimed that provinces have nearly completed the task of geo-tagging religious seminaries. Punjab and Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration have reportedly completed geo-tagging of 11,000 seminaries though there are conflicting figures about the number of madrassahs in Punjab ranging between 14,000 and 16,000. Sindh has completed the work of geo-tagging of 80 percent of its seminaries, KP 75 percent, Balochistan 60 percent and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) completed geo-tagging of 85 percent of the seminaries.
A high-level official in Balochistan government told Business Recorder that provincial government is very serious about implementation of madrassahs registration and regulation.
Chief Secretary Balochistan had already passed instructions to the police to expedite the process of registration of madrassahs. "We are reviewing the madrassah reforms in the NAP meetings which are being held regularly", he added. All seminaries in Balochistan have been registering with the Education department. The provincial government has constituted a four members high-level committee to review the registration process and enact legislation for the proposed amendment in the Societies Registration Act.
Habibur Rehman, Minister for Religious Affairs and Zakart, KP said that the provincial government had constituted a special committee to propose amendments in the existing law. The committee is reviewing the existing provincial Madrassahs Act and would give its recommendations to the government, he added.
Following the approval of Sindh Madrassah Registration Bill, 2016 by Sindh Cabinet, Chief of JUI (F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman said on Sunday that the Sindh government was trying to impose its dictatorship on madrassahs. Addressing his supporters and party loyalists at a workers convention in Karachi, he said that a one-sided law would not be acceptable. Sindh Cabinet approved the draft of Sindh Madrassah Registration Bill on Saturday.
A report published by Pildat in 2015, "Madrassah Education 2014: Challenges, Reforms and Possibilities" stated that the biggest challenge to the government is the number of these madrassahs in the country. "Some 19,104 madrassahs were registered with the government back in March 2010 but the common estimated range is around 20,000-30,000."
According to some estimates, more than 3.5 million students are receiving religious education in seminaries run under five federations: Wafaq, Wafaqul Madaris al-Arbia of Deobandi school of thought being most powerful of them. The other four are: Tanzeemul Madaris Ehle-Sunnat (Brelvi school of thought), Wafaqul Madaris Al-Salfia (Ehle-Hadith), Wafaqul Madaris (Al-Shia) and Rabtatul Madaris (run under the banner of Jamaat-e-Islami).
The government approached religious leaders a number of times for madrassah reforms. The plan envisaged registration of all seminaries, besides a crackdown against those having direct or indirect links with the ongoing militancy.
In January last, following a meeting between Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and representatives of the Ittehad Tanzeemul Madaris Pakistan, a joint declaration was issued.
The two sides agreed to establish a co-ordination mechanism between Madrassah and the government to ensure joint efforts against terrorism. According to new arrangements, Madrassahs were to receive foreign financial aid only through the government - a move aimed at ensuring proper audit of their funds.
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