KARACHI: The Sindh government on Wednesday decided to coordinate with all stakeholders, including ulema representing different schools of thought, to expedite the registration of seminaries and complete the process within the shortest possible time.

This decision was taken by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah while presiding over a meeting held at CM House.

Special assistant to the chief minister on religious affairs Dr Qayoom Soomro, chief secretary Mohammad Siddique Memon, secretary to the chief minister Alamuddin Bullo, home secretary Mukhtiar Soomro, Zakat, Ushar and religious affairs secretary Iftikhar Shalwani, industries secretary Shazia and Sindh police chief Ghulam Haider Jamali attended the meeting.

After failing to get federal govt response to its recommendations, the Sindh government gives the go-ahead to officials for taking action

It was decided that seminaries across the province would be registered under the amended laws in compliance with an apex committee decision.Of the total 9,590 seminaries in Sindh, 6,503 are registered and 3,087 unregistered while 167 others were sealed because they had been set up without government’s permission.

The chief minister asked Dr Soomro to call an urgent meeting of all the stakeholders, including the ulema from all schools of thought especially those associated with Wafaqul Madaris, to seek their support in getting the seminaries registered under the amended laws.

He said: “We had sought guidelines from the federal government for the registration of Madaris and suggested some amendments to relevant laws. As its response was still awaited, the Sindh government amended its own laws of Madaris registration.” He asked the officers to go ahead, expedite their working and ensure that the registration process is completed within the shortest possible time.

Dr Soomro informed the meeting that he was in contact with religious scholars, Ulema from all schools of thought and those associated with Wafaqul Madaris. He said they all were found co-operative in this regard.

Home Secretary Mukhtiar Soomro said the Sindh government had sought guidelines from the federal government and also recommended amendments to the laws that the production of a no-objection certificate from the district commissioner concerned, home secretary and the Sindh Building Control Authority be made compulsory to ensure transparent registration of seminaries.

The inspector general of police, Ghulam Hyder Jamali, briefed the meeting about the number of registered and unregistered seminaries and those functioning without any permission. He said 167 such seminaries were sealed.

He said intelligence agencies had identified 48 seminaries in Sindh as suspicious, having links with banned/ terrorist organisations. Half of these seminaries were functioning in Karachi, he said. He said he had already worked out an operation plan and his force was ready to take action against illegal, unregistered seminaries in the province.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2015

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