Qari Muhammad Hanif Jhalandari, Secretary of Ittehad Tanzeem Deeni Madaris (ITMD) has said "we did not nod to accept the common curriculum introduced by Madaris Education Board (MEB) and only our recommended syllabus would be acceptable."
Commenting on the statement of Religious Affairs Ministry Secretary Wakil Ahmed Khan that a 'Madaris Education Board' would be set up in two months and it would follow the Federal Education Board's syllabus. Qari Hanif said that we were waging a struggle for safeguarding our rights since long and we would not bargain on basic principles.
The secretary said that before the promulgation of the Madaris Ordinance 2005, the number of registered Madrassas was only 6,000, but this number had now increased to 13,473. He said that letters were also written to the Tanzeematal Madaris asking it to cooperate with the government in the registration of Madrassas, but some religious schools in Karachi, Islamabad and other districts were still not co-operating. Replying to a question, the secretary said that talks on the establishment of the Madaris Education Board were being held between Religious Affairs Minister Ejazul Haq and the Tanzeematal Madaris.
He said that both sides had agreed to implement the Federal Education Board's syllabus.