March 11, 2007	Sunday	Safar 21, 1428

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ISLAMABAD, March 10: Senator Talha Mahmood of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA), who was recently elected as chairman of the Senate standing committee on interior, on Saturday took a stance against the party’s policy on Madressah reforms and endorsed the government’s idea to introduce modern education in religious seminaries aimed to eradicate extremism by changing the mindset of students.

“I believe that modern education should also be imparted in religious seminaries so that the students can shoulder their responsibility in nation building,” Senator Mahmood said at a news conference.

The first meeting of the committee under his chairmanship is scheduled to be held on March 15.

In reply to a question about his affiliation with the opposition, he said although he belonged to the MMA he would not represent his party and would act as the chief of a neutral and recommendatory body.

The MMA had strongly opposed the government’s idea of Madressah reforms as it reportedly did not want to introduce modern education in the seminaries and exclude those subjects which promoted extremism.

The newly-appointed chairman announced that committee meetings would be opened for the media and TV cameras would be allowed to cover the proceedings.

He said he would try his best to make the committee a proper recommendatory body to help resolve different problems like terrorism, extremism and deteriorating law and order situation.

Meanwhile, sources in the opposition told Dawn that senators belonging to the People’s Party Parliamentarians had strongly protested the appointment of Mr Mahmood as chairman of the standing committee.

Following the election of Mr Mahmood, the PPP senators met the Senate chairman and formally registered their protest with him.

They were of the view that the Senate standing committee on interior was the most important body whose chairmanship had been offered to the opposition parties along with nine other committees.