Madressah reforms project fails to achieve objectives
By Khawar Ghumman
ISLAMABAD, May 31: The five-year, multi-billion-rupee Madressah Reforms Project which was launched in 2002-03 has failed to achieve its objectives. The government is now in a fix whether to revise its PC-1 or scrap it altogether, Dawn has learnt from reliable sources in the Planning Commission.
The all-powerful National Security Council (NSC), headed by President Pervez Musharraf, which is scheduled to meet on June 4, has the issue high on its agenda.
The sources said Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi had largely blamed the religious affairs ministry for the fiasco, saying the ministry could not be entrusted with the job in future.
Religious Affairs Minister Ijazul Haq, an important stakeholder, wanted it to be completely controlled by the education ministry. Therefore, he never offered his full cooperation over the issue, the sources said.
The Ministry of Religious Affairs does not have administrative establishments in the provinces. It has already failed to implement the Madressah Board Act 2001 that was aimed at facilitating the work of madaris.
It could not streamline the affairs of 105 madaris, which were affiliated to the ministry at that time. Therefore, they said, Mr Haq failed to get the desired decision from the federal cabinet.
The officials of the Planning Commission also believe that the majority of Muslim Leaguers, led by their party leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, did not like the project and never bothered about its progress.
They (officials) substantiated this argument by saying that despite the serious efforts made by Javed Ashraf Qazi, the project could not move forward.
