Madaris Reforms Project worth Rs 5.1 billion is in doldrums as heads of seminaries have refused to accept the appointment of Federal Education Minister Javed Ashraf Qazi as head of Madressah Reforms Board, made by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
Informed Sources told Business Recorder that Madaris representatives have decided not to attend any meeting of Madressah Reforms Board, which is headed by the education minister.
The opposition of the religious representatives has diminished the prospects of the regulation of seminaries across the country.
A five-year project on Madressah reforms worth Rs 5.1 billion was worked out to help 8000 registered seminaries to integrate religious education with formal education by adding to their courses the subject of English, Mathematics, Pakistan Studies Social studies and General Science from primary to secondary level and English, Economics, Pakistan Studies and Computer Sciences at Intermediate level.
The meeting of the Madressah Reforms Board convened to discuss Terms of Reference on June 4 and July 7 could not take place because of boycott by religious representatives including Wafaqul Madaris Secretary General, Maulana Muhammad Haneef Jalandhri.
The Madaris representatives, being close to the religious minister, want Ejazul Haq to be the chairman instead of Javed Ashraf Qazi.
They blamed that by constituting a committee under the chairmanship of the education minister and not the religious affairs minister, the government has violated a tacit understanding with them as from the very beginning of the process their negotiations were held with the religious minister. Hence, the appointment of education minister has caused grave concern among the Madaris.
The Prime Minster constituted the board early last month with the education minister as its chairman and minister for religious affairs his deputy while interior minister Aftab Sherpao as one of the members.
The other members of the board include Dr Mehmood Ahmed Ghazi, President International Islamic University, secretaries of religious affairs and interior ministries and Secretary General Wafaqul Madaris, Multan.
Federal education secretary acts as both member and secretary for the Board.
The board aims at accelerating the ongoing mainstreaming of Madressahs and would closely monitor their regulation, registration and recognition.
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