KARACHI: Though authorities have identified over 40 seminaries in Sindh with alleged links to terror groups, no legal action has yet been initiated against them, it emerged on Sunday.

Informed sources told Dawn that at a recent meeting on the law and order situation, which was chaired by Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, it was revealed that there were at least 46 madrassahs (seminaries) in Sindh with reported ‘leanings towards terrorism’.

This claim was based on reports submitted to the provincial government by a military-led intelligence agency and civilian federal agency.

Of the 46 seminaries, 24 were located in Karachi, 12 in Hyderabad, four in Larkana and six in Sukkur, according to official documents reviewed by Dawn.

However, the official papers contained the names of only two seminaries in Karachi that have links with the banned organisations Jundullah and the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan, and were located in the areas of Sohrab Goth and Manghopir. Officials claimed that they had “tangible evidence” about those seminaries having links with terror organisations.

Sindh home secretary Mukhtar Hussain Soomro, in his briefing at the meeting revealed that there were a total of 9,590 seminaries in Sindh with 517,695 students, including foreigners.

Of them only 6,503 were registered and 3,087 were unregistered.

Inspector General (IG) of Sindh police Ghulam Hyder Jamali in his briefing stated that a total of 167 unregistered seminaries had been sealed off in Sindh so far.

Out of them, 139 were located in Hyderabad division while 28 in Shaheed Benazirabad.

The IG also pointed out that the police were trying to implement other components of the National Action Plan (NAP). He revealed that so far, over 260 people had been arrested on charges of violation of the law regarding loudspeakers and 601 cases had been registered against them. Similarly, the provincial police chief stated that over 28 persons had been arrested on charges of spreading hate material and 22 cases had been registered.

The home secretary stated that under NAP and subsequent decisions taken at apex committee meetings, the provinces were supposed to strengthen legislation on hate speech, extremist materials and use of loudspeakers.

It was stated that hate speech and extremist material consisting of videos, audios and printed material shall be checked and confiscated at every level. For this purpose, regularisation and monitoring of printers and publishers should also be done besides monitoring the use of SMS, e-mails, websites and social media.

As for activities of banned outfits, the meeting was informed that the Sindh government had written to the federal ministry of interior, asking it for a list of banned religious outfits re-emerging under changed nomenclature so that such organisations should not be allowed to hold public gatherings.

About the decision of discouraging media interviews of members or leaders of such proscribed organisations, the meeting was informed that the executive committee concerned had directed the secretary for information to convene a meeting with the owners of electronic and print media ‘to curb hate speeches and materials.’

Regarding the issue of religious persecution, the meeting proposed that necessary legislation should be carried out to make false or wrong blasphemy accusations a cognisable offence. It has been proposed that legislation be taken up to award the death penalty for public lynching.

The participants were informed that the Sindh government had submitted amendments in the Pakistan Penal Code to the federal government to deal with issues of false accusations, forced marriages and forced conversions.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2015

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