Pakistan Day parade preparations: Seminaries, shrines to be shut down for a week

Institutes within 2 km radius of venue said to pose security risk

ISLAMABAD: In order to make foolproof security arrangements to celebrate Pakistan Day on March 23, the Islamabad administration has decided to vacate and close madrassas near Parade Avenue for one week, official sources revealed on Monday.

On February 2, the government had announced plans to hold a joint military parade to mark Pakistan Day after a break of seven years. Following the decision to celebrate the national day, the administration has decided to vacate and close seminaries located near the venue from March 18 to 24, said an official close to the development.

The decision came after law enforcement agencies had asked the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) Administration to vacate seminaries and shrines which fall under a two kilometre radius of the parade venue.

A letter sent to the capital’s deputy commissioner, which is available with The Express Tribune, stated that due to the security requirements of the joint services’ parade which is on March 23, all seminaries and shrines in close proximity of the multi-purpose parade ground are required to be vacated and closed from March 18 to 24.

The city administration, in this regard, has collected data of seminaries and the list shows a total of 41 which fall in the designated vicinity.

According to the list, 18 seminaries come under the Industrial Area Police Station, six under the Shahzad Town Police Station, 14 under Aabpara Police Station and three fall under the Secretariat police limits.

Interestingly, many clerics associated with the seminaries are unaware about the decision. Qari Muhammad Zabair, cleric of Khalid Bin Walid madrassa, situated in Sohan, said he has not received any orders from the administration.

Similarly, Dr Tahir, a cleric of Jamia Salfia, situated in Sector H-8/1, had the same view. “I have not received any such order,” he added.

Wafaqul Madaris General Secretary Qari Muhammad Hanif Jalandhri told The Express Tribune that he too has not received such orders. “I will look into the matter after I receive the order,” he added.

According to a recent survey by the police and city administration, there are 401 seminaries within the capital city’s territorial limits. Of these, 160 madrassas and 72 day scholar Quranic institutes are not registered with any government authority.

Some 31,796 students are enrolled at these seminaries. Of them, 17,419 belong to Islamabad and Rawalpindi, while 14,377 hail mainly from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan and Fata.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 17^th, 2015.