Ulema ask govt to point out seminaries involved in terrorism

ISLAMABAD: Interactions with some of the participants of Ulema’s meeting with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif shows that the Ulema were informed about some of government’s ‘intentions’ which were not only acceptable to them but some of these were also their demands.
According to insiders, Ulema representing organisations of madrassas themselves demanded action against seminaries involved in any terrorism related activities and asked the government to notify all of these.
After the meeting Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali said that in many recent terrorism incidents students of well-reputed modern institutions are found involved. Nisar questioned whether these institutions of higher learning should be banned?
A participant told The News that the prime minister said in the meeting that registration of all seminaries will be done. He said that the government announced many times that all seminaries will be registered and their accounts will be audited but all such announcements always proved to be mere claims and no concrete step was ever taken.
He said that registration of seminaries and declaration of association with any one registered board of madrassas was now a demand of Ittehad Tanzeemat-e-Madrassas Pakistan (ITMP).
The ITMP representatives told the government that it must disclose and properly notify the names of madrassas that have been found involved in terrorism activities or support terrorist organizations instead of defaming all madrassas.
According to insiders, Ulema representing ITMP fully praised operation Zarb-e-Azb and assured authorities of their full cooperation against any steps taken for eradication of terrorism and in isolation of any black sheep in their ranks.
Regarding audit of madrassas, Ulema demanded that the government should arrange their meeting with the State Bank of Pakistan officials so as a first step accounts of all madrassas are opened.