RAWALPINDI: Religious scholars and representatives of five education boards of seminaries, Wafaqul Mad­aris, on Saturday rejected the Waqf Amlak Act 2020 and urged the government to repeal it while announcing that they would launch protest from Rawalpindi from March 1.

They threatened to stage a sit-in in front of Parliament House if their demands are not met.

They also criticised the government act to form new education boards for seminaries saying that it was an attempt to control the seminaries and its students.

The issues were raised at a joint press conference addressed by JUI-F Punjab chapter Amir Attique-ur-Rehman, Nazim of Wafaqul Madaris Punjab Qazi Abdul Rashid, Jamiat Ahl-i-Hadith leader Maulana Syed Atiq-ur-Rehman Shah, Maulana Abdul Rahim Babar, Maulana Zahoor Alvi and others at Jamia Islamia.

Dr Attique-ur-Rehman said the scholars of different schools of thought, lea­ders of religious parties and representatives of five boards of education of seminaries had devised a joint strategy to pro­test against the Waqf Am­lak Act 2020 and new edu­cation boards for seminaries.

Qazi Abdul Rashid said that in a meeting held earlier in the day all education boa­rds of seminaries had dec­ided to launch a movement for the protection of mos­ques and seminaries. “We will not leave any stone unturned till the Waqf Amlak Act is repealed,” he said.

Earlier, a declaration on “protection of mosques and seminaries” was read out.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2021