DADU: Three clerics and as many suspected militants were arrested in raids on five seminaries by a joint team of police and Rangers personnel in Dadu and Khairpur Nathan Shah towns on Wednesday.

“Objectionable” printed literature was also seized during a search of some of the seminaries, the team later told the media. The raiding team said that the raids were conducted on two seminaries in Dadu town and another three in Khairpur Nathan Shah.

The police identified the arrested clerics as Maulvi Mohammed Ayoob, Maulvi Abdul Ahad and Maulvi Abdul Rasheed.

A thorough search of the five seminaries was carried out and objectionable literature was seized from “some of them”, the police said, adding that one of the seminaries raided in Dadu was being run by Maulvi Habibur Rehman Malkani and the other under the name of Darul Faiz.

“Rangers officials checked the seminaries’ records and also interrogated the faculty and their students,” the police said.

In similar raids on three seminaries located in Khairpur Nathan Shah, three suspected militants wanted by police in some cases of sectarian violence were arrested, said Dadu SSP Sheeraz Nazeer Abbasi.

The raids were conducted as part of the National Action Plan, he added.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2015

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