Punjab madrassas have no 'link' to militancy, claims Rana Sanaullah
Says geo-tagging of 13,787 madrassas in the province has been completed
Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah addresses a press conference at the Punjab Assembly in Lahore on August 25, 2015. PHOTO: WASEEM NAZIR/EXPRESS
LAHORE:
A day after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar acknowledged “slow progress” in madrassa reforms as part of the National Action Plan, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah seemed to contradict him, claiming on Tuesday that not a single madrassa in the province had any links with militancy.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, Sanaullah provided details of action on madrassas, saying that 13,787 madrassas had been geo-tagged in the province, adding that one million students were getting religious education in these seminaries.
Law enforcement agencies have also completed a search operation of hostels and universities, he said. Earlier this month, a number of hostels and seminaries had been raided by LEAs with several dozen suspects detained.
With his colleague, home minister Shuja Khanzada assassinated last week, Sanaullah said that they were instituting a "zero tolerance policy" against terrorism.
To a question about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s objection on local government elections in phases, he quipped Imran Khan was the only person in the world who objected to everything.
He went on to criticise the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for mismanagement and rigging in the polls in the province.
Read: ‘Terror networks operating from Pakistani soil dismantled’
Commenting on the NA-122 verdict, which left former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the lurch, the law minister said it was a biased decision and that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate would be re-elected from the constituency in case of a by-poll.
Fool proof security for Punjab Assembly session
Meanwhile, the minister announced that fool proof security measures were adopted for Punjab Assembly session to be started from Wednesday, following threats to hit Punjab Assembly building from militants.
The assembly session would continue for two weeks, in which 20 bills will be presented in the house for legislation, he added.
A day after Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar acknowledged “slow progress” in madrassa reforms as part of the National Action Plan, Punjab Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah seemed to contradict him, claiming on Tuesday that not a single madrassa in the province had any links with militancy.
Addressing a press conference at the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, Sanaullah provided details of action on madrassas, saying that 13,787 madrassas had been geo-tagged in the province, adding that one million students were getting religious education in these seminaries.
Law enforcement agencies have also completed a search operation of hostels and universities, he said. Earlier this month, a number of hostels and seminaries had been raided by LEAs with several dozen suspects detained.
With his colleague, home minister Shuja Khanzada assassinated last week, Sanaullah said that they were instituting a "zero tolerance policy" against terrorism.
To a question about Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s objection on local government elections in phases, he quipped Imran Khan was the only person in the world who objected to everything.
He went on to criticise the PTI-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government for mismanagement and rigging in the polls in the province.
Read: ‘Terror networks operating from Pakistani soil dismantled’
Commenting on the NA-122 verdict, which left former National Assembly speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in the lurch, the law minister said it was a biased decision and that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate would be re-elected from the constituency in case of a by-poll.
Fool proof security for Punjab Assembly session
Meanwhile, the minister announced that fool proof security measures were adopted for Punjab Assembly session to be started from Wednesday, following threats to hit Punjab Assembly building from militants.
The assembly session would continue for two weeks, in which 20 bills will be presented in the house for legislation, he added.