The madressah network, which mushroomed in the aftermath of the USSR’s invasion of neighbouring Afghanistan, now serves as an alternate schooling system in Balochistan

Pushed by a combination of religious, economic, social and political factors, most of the marginalised and poor families of Balochistan send their children to madressahs. Some tribal elites also do the same, albeit out of religious reasons.

A large number of children and young people are enrolled in madressahs across the province, but the authorities have little or no data regarding the students, finances and teachers of these religious schools.

Despite the announcement of the National Action Plan (NAP) in the aftermath of the tragic Army Public School attack of Dec 16, the Madressah network in Balochistan is yet to be scrutinised. Thousands of seminaries operate in the province without registration.

According to Home Secretary Balochistan Akbar Hussain Durrani, 2,441 madressahs were registered across the province with the Industries department. “An estimated 3,000 madressahs are not registered,” said Durrani. However, independent sources put the number of non-registered madrerssahs as being higher than what he claims.

Yet where the religious seminaries are mushrooming across the province, half of Balochistan’s population remains deprived of regular schools. Out of 22,000 settlements, as per the controversial census of 1998, there are only slightly more than 12,000 primary, middle and high schools in the province.

“We need the establishment of 10,000 new schools in order to enrol out of school children,” says Sardar Raza Muhammad Bareech, the Adviser to Balochistan Chief Minister on Education.

The Balochistan Assembly has already adopted the Societies Registration (Balochistan Amendment) Act 2010 in which no seminary can operate without registration. The bill tabled by the then PPP Information Minister Younas Mullazai was unanimously adopted by the Balochistan Assembly.

As the state education system fails to deliver, madressas fill the vacuum

The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JuI-F) had also supported the Societies Registration Bill, declaring registration of seminaries essential.

However, the Amir of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Ideological), Maulana Asmatullah, has termed the registration of seminaries a conspiracy against Islam. “These tactics are aimed at removing the Islamic identity of the country,” Maulana Asmatullah said.

Half of Balochistan’s population remains deprived of regular schools. Out of 22,000 settlements, there are only slightly more than 12,000 primary, middle and high schools in the province.

Regardless, during the last four years only 2,441 madressahs were registered. Most of these were registered in Quetta, Khuzdar, Pishin and Noshki whereas there was less registration in other districts of the province.

“We have established District Intelligence Coordination Committees (DICC) to conduct the ground verification of madressahs,” Akbar Hussain Durrani told Dawn.

The DICC comprises district officers and also intelligence personnel.

“Out of 2,441 registered madressahs, we have traced and confirmed 1,641 madressahs,” claimed Durrani.

According to the Home and Tribal Affairs Department Balochistan, only 5,626 foreigners, 99 per cent of whom were Afghan nationals, were studying in seminaries across the province. However, independent sources put the number of foreigners as much higher than what is being quoted by the Home Department.

“We also have reports that 30 madressahs have been receiving foreign funding,” the Home Secretary said.

Besides foreign funding, local charities remain a main source of income for madressahs. Tribal elites and rich religious families donate millions of rupees every year to specific madressahs as Zakat.

They withdraw their money from banks prior to Ramazan and prefer to pay Zakat directly to Madressahs rather than to the government. “We have no faith in the charity system of the country,” a Quetta-based billionaire businessman who declined to be named told Dawn.

A generation of Afghans has grown up in Balochistan and are reluctant to return to their home country as they have cultivated good ties with the local people.

However, the Balochistan government and security agencies have launched a crack-down against Afghan refugees living in Balochistan. Since the announcement of the NAP, security forces have arrested more than 3,000 suspects affiliated with different militant groups. They claim that most of them are Afghan nationals.

A few days back, security forces picked up four Afghan clergymen under the foreigner’s act from the Katwai refugee camp in Loralai district.

Apart from male madressahs, during the last decade many female madressahs have also been established in Pakhtun dominated areas of Balochistan. “There are more than 30 female madressahs in Zhob alone now,” says Hafeezullah Sherani, a journalist working with Dawn News.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, March 8th, 2015

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