Shafqat Mahmood says filling up PDM rallies with madressah students 'condemnable'

Minister for Education Shafqat Mahmood on Sunday said that the way Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman is using madressah students to fill up the alliance's "failed rallies" is "condemnable".

"I hope that the [relevant organisations] take note of this practice and save the students from being used as fodder to fuel their politics," he said.

The PDM has been organising rallies since October with a view to oust the government, with the latest one held in Bahawalpur today, where many youth holding the Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam-Fazl flag were seen.

At a past occasion, Minister for Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry had issued a similar statement, criticising the PPP and PML-N for making use of religious parties to lend impetus to the Opposition's cause.

It is "Pakistan's misfortune that PML-N and PPP today have to seek support of extremist groups for their politics", he said.

He further criticised the Opposition for "looking to madressah students for their politics" and to ramp up their numbers.

Madressahs across the country have been shut down till January 10 as the country fights the second wave of the coronavirus.