February 15, 2006	Wednesday	Muharram 16, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Feb 14: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Mohammad Ejazul Haq has said 9,332 madressahs out of a total of 11,882 affiliated with the Ittehad Tanzeemat Madaris-i-Dinya Pakistan (ITMDP) have so far been registered.

Speaking at a press conference here, he expressed the hope that the process would be completed in a couple of months. He, however, said there was no deadline for the registration, as it was an ongoing process with the establishment of more madressahs continuing.

He said the agreement with the ITMDP reached on December 22, 2005, was going well and more and more seminaries were getting registered. He said the government was also persuading the madressahs not affiliated with the ITMDP to get themselves registered.

The minister said negotiations were underway with the ITMDP to introduce modern formal education in the syllabus of religious seminaries.

He said a cabinet committee headed by him formed to review the Zakat system was giving final shape to its recommendations.

Ejazul Haq said the post-Haj operations had been completed satisfactorily.

He, however, said the ministry would take action against the private tour operators against whom complaints were received.

He pointed out that 21 tour operators who had not provided facilities to the pilgrims in accordance with the packages offered by them had been black listed last year.

He appreciated the performance of the Pakistani medical mission and said medicines worth Rs8.5 million had been provided free of cost during Haj.

He said 198 Pakistanis died during the Haj including 42 killed in a stampede at Mina.