As many as 733 madrassahs have been registered with the Punjab Auqaf and Religious Affairs Ministry under the amended Registration of Societies Act 1860 so far, while 95 applications are still pending with the ministry. Around 434 madrassahs were registered till September 20, while 298 madrassahs were registered over the last week.
According to a weekly registration progress report of the ministry, eight madrassahs were registered in Rawalpindi district, 26 in Jehlum, 14 in Sargodha, one in Bhakkar, three each in Gujranwala, Bahawalnagar and Sahiwal, 18 in Gujrat, four each in Mandi Bahauddin, Kasur and Khanewal, 12 each in Hafizabad and Narowal, 29 in Lahore, 20 in Sheikhupura, 40 in Faisalabad, 10 in Toba Tek Singh, 14 in Jhang, 15 in Lodhran, 38 in Muzaffargarh and five each in Vehari, Layyah, Mianwali and Bahawalpur. No madrassah was registered in Rahim Yar Khan, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Pakpattan, Multan, Sialkot, Okara, Khushab, Attock, Chakwal and Nankana Sahib districts in the last week.
Official sources that most of the registration before December 31 will be completed. According to the Punjab home department, the province has 5,673 madrassahs, of which 3,498 are registered under the old law. The government says that already registered madrassahs need not reapply for registration under the amended Societies Act 1860.