NACTA finalizes report to bring madrassas under Ministry of Education

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: The National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has compiled a report on geo-tagging and registration of all the madrassas in Pakistan and announced to bring them under the Ministry of Education. NACTA report will be given to the provinces for further implementation.

“The government of Pakistan has decided that these madrasas will be mainstreamed,” Major Gen. Asif Ghafoor told reporters at the military headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi on April 29. “An Islamic education will continue to be provided but there will be no hate speech,” Ghafoor added, saying that religious schools will come under the purview of the Ministry of Education and incorporate other subjects into their syllabus.

According to NACTA report, geo-tagging of all the madrassas in Punjab and Islamabad has been completed whereas 90% of them have also been registered in Punjab.

Geo-tagging of most of the madrassas has been completed throughout the Pakistan. Geo-tagging of 85% of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 80% of Sindh, 75% of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and 60% of Balochistan madrassas has already been done.

A new directorate was proposed for the registration of new madrassas in Punjab.

Police was given the responsibility of registering madrassas in Sindh where as they failed to do so, the report said.

According to the report, department of education will complete the registration of madrassas in KPK. Balochistan has already sent the data to education department.

Respective provinces will audit the madrassas accordingly, the report said.

“We want to end violent extremism in Pakistan and that will only happen when our children have the same education and opportunities.” said Major Gen. Asif Ghafoor.

According to the sources, charity, alms and the funding sources of these institutes will be investigated.