ISLAMABAD, Dec 2: The government has successed in winning over the largest union of seminaries, the Ittehad Tanzeemat Madaris Deeniah (ITMD), on the registration issue with 8,200 madrassahs, almost half of the seminaries in the country, already registered and is hopeful of meeting the deadline on completion of the process by Dec 31.

The ITMD, which groups five leading religious education boards (wafaqs), is expected to announce acceptance and joining the process halted ever since issuance of the presidential ordinance in August of registration from Dec 3, official sources have said.

High-ranking officials of the religious ministry revealed to Dawn on Friday, the presidential ordinance promulgated on Thursday was a consensus document with minor changes brought about with the consent of the ITMD which would now become law by the assent of parliament.

Talking to Dawn, Vakil Ahmed Khan, secretary, religious affairs, said that at least 2,200 seminaries had so far been registered since the promulgation of the Madrassah Ordinance last August with about 6,000 seminaries already registered under the Registration of Societies Act 1860.

As far as the provision of prohibition of sectarian hatred or militancy training was concerned it remains part of the law with the addition that comparison of religions and sects as part of religious education will be continued.

The new law has been enacted as a result of a written agreement between Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Ijazul Haq and ITMD leaders as a consequence of which impediments in the way of completion of registration has been removed.

The secretary, religious affairs, said that all leading seminaries of the country, like the ones run by senior politicians Maulana Fazlur Rahman and Maulana Samiul Haq and prominent institutions like Darul Uloom Karachi, Binori Town, etc., were already registered.