Sindh to introduce law for madrasa regulation soon

CM’s special assistant for religious affairs says draft of bill prepared with representatives of five boards of seminaries on board

After completing the geo-tagging of madrasas across Sindh, the provincial government has prepared a bill for registering religious seminaries and monitoring their funding that will be introduced in the assembly soon.

Dr Abdul Qayoom Soomro, the special assistant to the chief minister for religious affairs, said the draft of the bill has been prepared after consulting with the representatives of five boards of madrasas.

 “After the National Action Plan against terrorism coming into force, it had become necessary to register and regulate madrasas,” Soomro told The News.

“Sindh is the only province that is implementing the NAP in its true letter and spirit,” he added.

“Even the prime minister and the former army chief have acknowledged the Sindh government’s efforts in combating terrorism.”

In first phase, the provincial government has completed geo-tagging of 8,300 madrasas helping it identify the exact locations of these seminaries.

Then the provincial government started working on the bill to register and regulate madrasas.

For this purpose, it formed an eleven-member coordination committee headed by Soomro.

Maulana Imdadullah from the Wifaqul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan, Maulana Rafiur Rehman from the Tanzeemul Madaris, Hafiz Muhamamd Salfi from the Wifaqul Madaris Salfiya, Maulana Abdul Waheed from the Rabtaul Madaris, and Allama Qazi Fayyaz of the Wifaqul Madaris Al-Shia are part of the committee.

From the government’ side, the Additional Rangers DG, the DIG police (Special Branch), the additional home chief secretary, and the secretaries of the religious affairs, Auqaf, and law departments are its members.

Soomro said the legislation was aimed at creating a formal mechanism for registering, regulating and facilitating religious seminaries.

He added that it would help audit the seminaries’ sources of income, and monitor their curricula, student uniforms, and conduct of code for the Friday prayers.

“The representatives of the madrasas belonging to the five schools of thought have largely agreed on the legislation.”

Under the proposed law, permission or clearance from the deputy commissioner, the Sindh Building Housing Authority, the home department and the department of religious affairs will be compulsory to set up a new madrasa.

Soomro said madrasas would need to renew their registration after every three years.

“The Sindh government will fully support madrasas and the latter too should cooperate with the government,” he added.