Sindh chief minister wants crack down on illegal seminaries in Karachi

Qaim Ali Shah expresses concerns over reports that there are 2.5 million aliens living in Karachi.

KARACHI: Because it is mandatory for a school or a madrassa to seek permission from the authorities concerned before setting them up, Sindh chief minister on Thursday took serious notice of a number of madrassas being run without permission, and ordered officials to take action.

Following reports of widespread madrassas (seminaries) being established in Karachi without seeking requisite permission from the concerned authorities, Shah has directed the officials to stop the registration of new madrassas being set up against the rules and take action against those who construct the same without permission.

“We are not against the teaching of Islam, but religious seminaries must be established following the law. We cannot give permission to run a school without registration,” he said this while presiding over a law and order meeting at the Chief Minister House on Thursday.

Shah said that the influx of illegal immigrant and Afghan refugees is a big threat to the people and installations in Sindh. He said that any attempt for registration of these people at this stage when action is being taken against the terrorists in Northern Areas would be an injustice and danger for the Sindh and recommended the federal govt to stop it.

The meeting also reviewed the performances of targeted operation in Karachi and discussed the counter strategy to fight with terrorists especially with reference to the Pakistan Army strikes against the terrorists in northern areas.

Taking serious notice of reports about the illegal influx of Afghan refugees, instances of land grabbing, smuggling of arms, narcotics apart from other nefarious activities of the Afghan refugees in Hyderabad, Shah directed the DIG to remove all illegal migrants and refugees to cross the border with in three days.

Shah directed the DIGs of the Sindh police to put all the entry and exits points of their district under strict vigilance and to stop such illegal immigrant to enter or get settled in these areas.

The chief minister expressed his apprehensions over the reports of some 2.5 million ‘aliens’ currently living in Karachi and said that the National Alien Registration Authority (NARA) and lamented that the Commission for Afghan refugees in Karachi have not carried out their responsibilities in Karachi.

He recommended the federal government to activate the NARA to control over aliens and prepare a strategy to stop the illegal SIMs as both these factors are causing increase in crime in Karachi.