LAHORE: The Jamaat-i-Islami on Monday condemned the government move to impose restrictions on religious seminaries and termed it an intentional step to divert the attention of the people from their actual problems to “non-issues”.

“The government is creating madaris [seminaries] issue at a time when its incapability has been badly exposed in every sector,” said JI emir Senator Sirajul Haq while addressing a meeting of the party’s central leadership here at Mansoora on Monday.

He said the rulers were trying to impose western agenda in the country in the name of seminaries reforms.

The religious seminaries were fortress of Islam, protecting the ideological boundaries of the country, he stressed.

Haq said at a time when Islamophobia was on the rise in the world, madressahs were beacons of light and promoting values of Islam.

He said the government badly failed to introduce reforms in any sector. He deplored that unemployment and inflation were touching the sky, the common man had no access to justice and a majority of the country’s population was deprived of even basic health and education facilities. In the prevailing worst circumstances, he added, the government suddenly turned towards madressahs which was a “non-issue”.

The JI chief also visited the residence of Pakistan Ulema Council Chairman Tahir Ashrafi to offer condolence on the death of his mother. On occasion, he regretted inaction by the Pakistani government and the international community over the human rights violations in India held Kashmir (IHK).

He said the curfew had entered 63rd day in the IHK with people being starved to death and forced to spend life like prisoners.

Meanwhile, JI secretary general Amirul Azeem expressed his serious concern over the government’s decision to freeze the bank accounts of seminaries, terming the move an act of hostility against religious forces.

He said the madressahs were providing free education, food and shelter to over 3.5 million students. The sudden decision of the government made it hard for the management of these institutions even to arrange two meals for the students, he added. He asked the government to immediately withdraw the decision or “get ready to face protests”.

JI naib emir Liaqat Baloch, in a separate statement, thanked the participants of the ‘Lahore March’ which the party had organised on Sunday to express solidarity with the Kashmiris. He said the people of Lahore had conveyed a clear message to their Kashmiri brethren that they were standing shoulder to shoulder with them in their struggle against Indian occupation.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2019