DESPITE varied opinions coming from all corners of the country, Fazlur Rehman is set to go with his ‘long march’.

As everyone is terming this march his democratic right, my suggestion is that he should avoid bringing madressah students as marchers because their parents have sent them to madressahs to study and not to take part in an anti-government protest.

I would urge the government that instead of trying to block the march, it should make sure that no madressah student is among the marchers, and it can be done easily.

The government should announce that, if a marcher is found to have affiliation with any madressah, not only will the marcher be arrested, the particular madressah will also be sealed and its administration held accountable for this offence.

Moreover, the registration of such madressahs with Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan will also be cancelled. The government should ask the Wafaqul Madaris to confirm this measure through a press statement.

The public at large should also be informed that their hard-earned money given to such maressahs in God’s name is being used — rather being misused — by the JUI-F to achieve its political ends.

And finally, the government should not resist Fazlur Rehman’s right to protest.

Abdulaziz Usmani

Islamabad

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2019