UPPER DIR, Dec 8: Operation Commander in Upper Dir district Brig Zaheer Malik on Saturday asked seminaries to get registered with Wafaqul Madaris by December 31, otherwise they would be sealed.

He was speaking at a jirga attended by MPA Anwar Khan, PPP’s Arifullah Khan, JI district president Sahibzada Fasihullah, PML-N’s Mohammad Nisar, JUI-F’s Inamullah Khan, DCO Mohammad Ali Shah and DPO Ihsanullah Khan.

The commander warned that after Dec 31 unregistered religious schools would not be allowed to function. “Unregistered seminaries would be sealed,” he told the jirga at Panakot near Dir town.

He said that Afghan nationals were not allowed to lead prayers at mosques or teach at madressahs, warning that action would be taken against anyone violating the order.

Mr Malik said that political parties would not be allowed to hold election rallies in some places in the region owing to security concerns. He said that all rallies and big political gatherings should be held at Dir Stadium where they would provide better security to the people.

Brig Malik asked the jirga to tell the people to hand over heavy weapons to the government. “People can keep Kalashnikov for their protection, but they should surrender heavy weapons because these are not for their personal use,” he said.

He said that heavy weapons in the area could fall in the hands of militants and anti-state elements. Action would be taken against people keeping heavy weapons, he said. He added that the army was in the area to protect people against militant attacks. — Correspondent