Madrassas data forms drafted

Document meant to ensure that madrassas are not involved in any form of extremism

ISLAMABAD:

Officials have finally worked out plans for uniform registration of seminaries and drafted data forms under which these seminaries will provide basic information including the number of enrolled students, faculties, bank accounts details and other vital information, The Express Tribune has reliably learnt.

The sources also revealed that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has asked the authorities concerned to convene a meeting with the Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP) over this uniform registration and data form to get a final review on it.





After this meeting, which will take place in the coming weeks, the form would be given final shape and its implementation would be started after holding a meeting with chief ministers of all provinces.

“The basic aim of this registration and data form is to make sure that madrassas are not involved in any sort of extremism besides getting to know the level of education they are providing their students,” sources said.

According to them, some 25,000 seminaries are already registered with the provincial governments, but many across the country are yet to be registered.

Moreover, the first meeting of stakeholders on the syllabus of seminaries is due to be held next week. Sources suggest it will be the first meeting of its kind as the syllabus of seminaries has never been discussed at the government level.



According to them, the Higher Education Commission and the federal education ministry have already given their input on the matter of syllabus of seminaries.

Mufti Muhammad Naeem, the principal of Jamia Binoria, an influential Deobandi seminary in Karachi, said that all five boards of the seminaries have no problem with the registration.

The general secretary of Wafaqul Madaris al Arabia Pakistan, Haneef Jalandhari, told this newspaper that the final draft of the registration form has not been shared with him.

He hoped that it would be shared with the representatives of seminaries in the next meeting of stakeholders.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 14^th, 2016.