QUETTA, Aug 30: Minister for Religious affairs, Haj and Auqaf Ejazul Haq said on Monday that 4,000 seminaries had applied for registration while about 5,000 had been registered under the Society Act.

Speaking at a seminary, the minister said reports collected by the government suggested that the institutions were not involved in training militants or preaching extremism.

He said that under an agreement with Kabul, Afghan refugees could get education in seminaries.

He said the decision to register the institutions had not been taken under foreign pressure.

He said the government did not intend to launch a crackdown on the seminaries which were inclined to registering under the amended Society Act.

He said the seminaries did not protested when the government banned some religious organizations.

In reply to a question, he said there were 11,880 seminaries in the country.

He said the government would devise a policy against the seminaries which failed to apply for registration by the deadline of Dec 31.

Earlier, the minister participated in the foundation laying ceremony of Haj Complex.

Governor Owais Ahmed Ghani, on the occasion, welcomed the government’s decision to launch direct PIA flights during Haj season from Quetta to Madina.

The participants of the function were informed that the provincial government had provided 20 acres free of cost for the project, including a hostel to accommodate 350 intending pilgrims, and its estimated cost would be Rs40 million.