KHAR: The authorities decided on Sunday to start registration of seminaries in Bajaur Agency to maintain data of the religious institutions.

The decision was taken in a meeting, held between a group of religious scholars and Political Agent Mohammad Yahya Akhunzada at the agency headquarters. The meeting was also attended by administrators and senior teachers of various seminaries besides senior officials of the administration.

The participants of the meeting discussed the incident of recovery of seminary girls from Bajaur in Karachi and vowed to prevent such incidents. They also discussed the plan of starting registration of seminaries in the region.

Speaking on the occasion, the political agent said that on the directives of Khyber pakhtunkhwa governor, the administration decided to register seminaries in the region.

He said that registration of the seminaries was necessary for the promotion of quality and standard religious education in the agency.

“The plan was meant to maintain actual data of the seminaries and get knowledge about their activities and curriculum besides improving standard of the religious institutions in the agency,” Mr Akhunzada said.

The political agent urged the participants to cooperate with the administration in registration of seminaries in the agency. “We have decided to take the step at all costs but we want the religious leaders and heads of the seminaries to support the administration by initiating voluntary registration of their madressahs,” he added.

The religious scholars and heads of the seminaries on the occasion welcomed the decision and assured the officials of their full support. They said that they were ready to take the initiative on voluntary basis.

“We are ready to register the seminaries. We will defiantly cooperate with the administration in this regard because registration of every institution, particularly seminaries and mosques, is very necessary,” said Maulana Mohammad Sadiq, former MNA and senior leader of JUI-F.

The meeting decided that registration of the seminaries would be started from next week.

The political agent appreciated the religious scholars for extending their support to the administration in registration of seminaries.

He said that the administration would soon establish seminaries for girls in Khar and other parts of the agency to promote religious education in the region.

The official said that in the first phase a seminary would be establish at Civil Colony in Khar and then its branches would be set up in every tehsil of the agency. Mr Akhunzada said that the seminaries would be provided with basic and modern facilities including boarding and lodging.

Published in Dawn, December 1st , 2014