SHANGLA: The district emir of Jamiat-I-Islam Fazal, (JUI-F) has declared that the district administration’s directive for Madrasas to register with the directorate general of religious education is illegal and unacceptable.
This statement came in response to notices issued by the tehsil administration of Chakesar, which urged seminaries to register within seven days. Assistant Commissioner Shah Nawaz Khan sent a notice (reference number 1548-53) to the deputy commissioner of Shangla, requesting that all Madrasas in the tehsil comply with the registration requirement.
The notice from the Assistant Commissioner reads: “The Madrasa Muhatamim is requested to register your respective seminary with the Directorate General for Religious Education (DGRE) within seven days of receiving this letter.”
Zainullah emphasized that the Assistant Commissioner lacked knowledge about the rules and registration process for Madrasas. He expressed concerns about the union of Madrasas opposing the proposed government bill related to seminaries, stating that, as of now, there are no established rules or policies for registering them with DGRE.
He called into question the timing of this issue in Shangla, suggesting that the deputy commissioner should tread carefully with such sensitive matters. Zainullah noted that Madrasas are interconnected throughout the country and stressed that the deputy commissioner should refrain from actions that could escalate the situation nationwide.
He further explained that these Madrasas are already registered with their respective boards and follow the regulations set forth by the five boards operating in the country. Zainullah urged the Shangla administration to avoid issuing directives to seminaries and instead communicate with their governing boards.
When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Fawad Khan revealed that there are a total of 184 seminaries in the Shangla district, with 38 of them unregistered. He clarified that the government recently issued guidelines aimed at registering these Madrasas with DGRE as soon as possible. The Deputy Commissioner added that this step is necessary for the Solarization project, which is set to be implemented in Madrasas across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, making registration essential.
