KARACHI, Aug 28: Maulana Ajmal Qadri, chief of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Q) has advised President Pervez Musharraf not to reopen settled issues like registration of religious seminaries, otherwise it will have serious repercussions.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Mr Qadri said: “Obstinacy of rulers regarding madressahs will sweep away the entire system, so the government should not play in the hands of foreign powers.”

He said an ‘All Parties Madaris Convention’ was being convened in Lahore on Sep 9 to set a future strategy for the survival of these institutions.

On the issue of madressah degrees, Maulana Qadri said degrees and certificates of religious seminaries were more authentic, credible and proper than those issued by other educational institutions, education boards or universities, and declaring them invalid would be a big jolt to the existing system.

To a question, Mr Qadri said there was no future for an opposition in the country since there exists no democracy.

Condemning the statement of Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi that there would be district nazims in Punjab only from the PML-Q, he said it was a slap on the face of democracy.—PPI