SWAT: A court remanded 11 madressah teachers in custody for two days here on Thursday over the alleged torture and murder of a minor seminarian.

The suspects’ handover to police was ordered by Khwazakhela’s judicial magistrate.

The boy died from critical injuries on Monday evening after allegedly being beaten up by their teachers in Chaliyar village of Khwazakhela tehsil.

The police arrested 11 teachers on suspicion. However, the main suspect, who is the madressah administrator (mohtamim), and another person are at large.

Police say search for main suspect under way

District police officer Umar Khan told Dawn that special teams had been formed to search for the remaining suspects.

“We have got some solid leads about the hideouts of the suspects and will catch them soon,” he said.

Meanwhile, religious leaders condemned the brutal killing of the madressah student and showed solidarity with the aggrieved family. They also demanded strict punishment for the culprits.

Provincial head of the seminary board Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia Maulana Hussain Ahmad led them during a news conference at the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl’s district secretariat here.

Noted among participants were Maulana Qari Muhibullah (Wifaqul Madaris Malakand Division), Maulana Qari Mohammad Tahir, JUI-F Swat emir Maulana Syed Qamar and general secretary Ejaz Khan, Maulana Samiul Haq (Wahdatul Madaris), Akhtar Ali Khanji (Jamaat-i-Islami), Noor Mohammad Kifayatullah (Tanzeemul Madaris), Syed Mohammad Farooqi (Rabitatul Madaris), Maulana Ismatullah (Ishaat al-Tawheed wal Sunnah), and spokesman for the JUI-F’s Swat chapter Mufti Sadiq Mohammad.

Mr Ahmad said Wifaqul Madaris central leader Mufti Taqi Usmanihad extended condolences to the boy’s family.

He said the government must ensure that the culprits receive exemplary punishment to prevent such incidents in the future.

The board leader insisted that such incidents happened in the institutions of formal education as well, so they should be condemned no matter where they occurred.

He said the entire madressah system should not be blamed for the unacceptable actions of a few individuals.

“Unfortunately, a propaganda had been launched against seminaries, ignoring their collective service to the society.

Mr Ahmad said madressahs had always played a pivotal role in preserving Islamic teachings in the country and produced scholars, who were serving in mosques.

He said any campaign to malign or weaken seminaries would be strongly resisted. “Some unregulated NGOs are behind the negative propaganda against seminaries, but it won’t succeed,” he said.

The board leader said all madressahs had a system of check and balance, while measures were under way to improve the training of their teachers.

He warned authorities against taking any action against seminaries under the pretext of that incident.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2025