‘Govt determined to mainstream seminaries’

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi laments over lack of tolerance among Muslims

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led federal government wants to introduce a uniform education system in the country by mainstreaming students of religious seminaries.

““The ruling party came into power by raising slogan of improving conditions of seminaries and now it is the responsibility of those in power to take care of all the needs of the seminary students. We want that the graduates of seminaries should also hold important offices and serve the country,” Afridi said on Wednesday while speaking to teachers and the students of Islamabad’s Jamia Qasmia during a visit.

He said people who establish such seminaries and those who study there provide an opportunity to the youth to study the commandments of God and the Holy Prophet (PBUH). He said the government will take concrete steps to mainstream seminary students and resolve their basic problems.

He lamented over the lack of tolerance among Muslims and said followers of one sect are not ready to tolerate the followers of the other.  “Muslims are facing a crisis today because of a lack of unity in the Ummah,” he added.

Afridi said as a nation we should acknowledge services of the military and should not let anyone weaken our armed forces. “Conspirators want to weaken the Pakistan Army by waging a propaganda war but the new generation will not accept their false arguments,” he said.