PESHAWAR, March 14: The NWFP government has stopped allocation of funds for religious schools involved in sectarianism or giving admission to foreign students.

Official sources told Dawn on Thursday that the Auqaf department would release funds to the Madaris on the recommendations of Nazims. The government had directed all district Nazims to prepare the list of Madaris functioning in their respective areas.

Under the new policy, Madaris involved in sectarianism, or spreading propaganda against government policies, or giving admission to foreign students or appointing teaching staff from abroad will not be eligible to receive financial assistance from the Auqaf department.

Madaris that give admission to Afghan students will also come under the new policy. Thousands of Afghans are studying in most of the Madaris of the province.

Registered Madaris receive from the Auqaf department a meagre amount for construction and maintenance work. The government had stopped funds allocations to Madaris in 1994, but the policy was reviewed last year.

A senior official told Dawn that this year the government had reduced funds for Madaris. During the last financial year Rs4 million was allocated, while for the current financial year only Rs2 million had been earmarked for more than 900 registered Madaris in the province.