KARACHI: Upset over the previous governments’ lackadaisical attitude, Pakistan’s religious scholars said that while Prime Minister Imran Khan shows promise in making religious schools a part of the mainstream educational framework, it’s unlikely his plans will be brought to fruition.
Khan has repeatedly called for reforms in the education system to bring the seminaries, also known as madrassas, in line with the modern education system.
Last week, during a meeting with the delegation of the Ittehad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris-e-Deeniya Pakistan, an alliance of religious schools in the country, Khan had said that uniformity in the basic educational system was imperative to work toward nation building. The delegation was headed by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman and comprised heads of all madrassa boards, while the premier was accompanied by federal ministers of education, religious affairs and a coterie of other officials.
Yaseen Zafar, head of the Wafaqul Madaris Al Salfia — the board of religious seminaries representing the Salafi school of thought — told Arab News that Khan’s government and past leaders, including former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif, Benazir Bhutto “were also sincere in their efforts to mainstream the seminaries,” adding that the madrassas never opposed the plans either.
“It’s the bureaucracy, which hampers the process by raising objections to the key demand of registration of the board,” Zafar said, adding that he feared Khan’s plans would meet a similar fate.
Aamir Tauseen, former chairman of the Pakistan Madrassa Education Board, agrees that when it comes to meeting the demands of clerics, specifically granting them the status of official education boards, the bureaucracy has always raised various objections, treating religious schools as unequal or as a hotbed for terrorism. “Since they are educated through the modern system, they have a specific mentality and consider the religious schools backward,” he said.
Taking cognizance of the issues discussed, Khan said: “It was unjust to ignore the contributions of madaris (seminaries) and associate them with terrorism.”
Maulana Hanif Jalandhari, chief of Wafaqul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan (the board of Arabic religious seminaries of Pakistan), said that in the meeting with the prime minister, it was decided that all measures agreed upon with the previous governments would be implemented.
He added that Khan had formed a committee comprising ministers of education and religious affairs which, “after consultation with the madrassa leadership would draft the recommendations”.
Detailing the limitations of including the seminaries in the mainstream educational framework, Jalandhari said: “To us, the madaris are already mainstreamed as they’re imparting Islamic education in a country, which was carved out of (pre-partition) India for implementation of Islamic teachings. For the government, however, the mainstreaming is that graduates of madrassas should be able to work in other fields of life. For this, the madrassas will have to start teaching English language, science, mathematics and social studies. In return, the government will have to recognize our degrees.”
One solution to the problem could be if “the basic education in schools and madrassas is the same till grade 10,” he said, adding that: “The religious seminaries should teach modern subjects whereas modern schools should incorporate religious subject in their syllabus.”
Tauseen said the timeline of efforts for mainstreaming madrassas dates backs to the 1970s when an educational commission headed by Air Marshal Noor Khan recommended introducing modern subjects in religious seminaries.
In 1974, after the recommendations failed to see the light of day, all five boards were accredited by the University Grant Commission of Pakistan, which accepted the highest madrasa degree of “Shahadat Aalia” as equal to a Master of Arts (MA), Tauseen said.
“Almost every government formed a commission in this regard but in vain. In 1999, Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi recommended the establishment of a Pakistan Madrassa Education Board, which was setup in 2001. This board was aimed at mainstreaming the madrassas but all five boards rejected the proposal,” he said.
Tauseen, who took charge of the board in August 2014, said that it remained dysfunctional for 11 years primarily due to the “adverse attitude of the Religious Affairs Ministry”.
Inclusion of the madrassas in the mainstream became a part of the National Action Plan, which was formulated in the aftermath of the December 2014 attack on the Peshawar Army Public School. “Several meetings of different committees, education ministry, National Anti-Terrorism Authority and Interior Ministry were held and I, being head of the Pakistan Madrasa Board, was part of all of them. Several recommendations were prepared; however, with a change of government none were implemented,” he said.
Citing a lack of coordination and understanding as the main reasons for the delay in the implementation of plans, Tauseen suggested that madrassas should first have the complete data on hand, which should be shared with the government, as the first step toward mainstreaming. This could be followed up with the introduction of a uniform syllabus in the second phase.
There are three types of seminaries: Maktabs (schools for day scholars), madrassas (seminaries with boarding and lodging) and darul uloom (seminaries for higher studies). Together, they are responsible for more than 37,000 institutions, with nearly 4 million students acquiring education from them.
Jalandhari said that around 30,000 madrassas are registered with the five boards representing various schools of thought in Islam. Abdul Kabir Qazi, home secretary of the Sindh province, said there are a total of 10,033 madrassas in Sindh out of which 7,724 are operational while 2,309 were shut down after the geo-tagging exercise. “We have registered all the seminaries in Sindh province,” Qazi told Arab News. “All the madrassas in the province have been geo-tagged,” he added.
Wakeel Ahmed Khan, former secretary of religious affairs, refutes the allegations and instead blames the ‘inconsistency of policies’ of the succeeding governments for hampering the development of the madrassas.
“For mainstreaming madrassas, modern disciplines should be taught and religious education should be an additional focus,” the former secretary told Arab News.
Drawing a comparison with the religious seminaries in the UK, he said: “They are accredited with the UK education boards on their terms and simultaneously to their branches in Pakistan… they have accepted this mainstreaming happily.”
Pakistani scholars question PM Khan’s plans to reform madrassas
Pakistani scholars question PM Khan’s plans to reform madrassas
- Previous governments unsuccessful in mainstreaming seminaries despite detailed plans
- Move to ensure religious schools are on par with those providing modern education
Five Indians kidnapped in attack in Niger
The armed men who carried out the kidnapping have not been officially identified
NIAMEY: Five Indian citizens were kidnapped in western Niger during an attack last week by armed men that also killed a dozen soldiers, according to two Nigerian security sources and a statement by Indian state authorities seen by Reuters on Wednesday.
Reuters reported on Saturday that 12 soldiers had been killed in the attack a day earlier near the village of Sakoira in the tri-border region, where the West African Sahel countries of Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali meet.
The victims were working for an Indian company providing services to Niger’s Kandadji dam project, the two security sources said.
The local government of the Indian state of Jharkhand said in a statement that the five citizens had been working in the Tillaberi region.
It said all five were from Jharkhand and that the Indian embassy in Niger had approached Nigerian authorities for support in securing their release.
The armed men who carried out the kidnapping have not been officially identified, but last month Niger blamed the EIGS group, a Daesh affiliate, for an attack on a mosque near the tri-border area in which at least 44 civilians were killed.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso are fighting a jihadist insurgency linked to Al-Qaeda and Islamic State that spun out of a Tuareg rebellion in northern Mali in 2012 and later spread to its neighboring countries.
Kidnappings appear to have intensified this year, with an Austrian woman kidnapped in January and a Swiss citizen earlier in April, both in Niger. Also in January, four Moroccan truck drivers went missing on the border between Niger and Burkina Faso.
Head of Pakistan-administered Kashmir calls for international mediation
- Head of Pakistan-administered Kashmir says Gulf states could help
- Calls for attention on Kashmir’s long-term future
ISLAMABAD: The head of the Pakistan-administered region of Kashmir called for international mediation and said on Wednesday that his administration was preparing a humanitarian response in case of any further escalation between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan.
Pakistan’s government has said it has “credible intelligence” that India intends to launch military action soon after days of escalating tensions following a deadly attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir.
India blamed Pakistan for the April 22 attack that killed 26 people, which Islamabad has denied.
“There is a lot of activity going on and anything could happen so we have to prepare for it. These few days are very important,” president of Pakistan-administered Kashmir Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry told Reuters in an interview, calling for rapid international diplomacy to de-escalate the situation.
“We expect some mediation at this time from some friendly countries and we hope that that mediation must take place, otherwise India would do anything this time,” he said. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates could be in a position to mediate, he added.
Chaudhry also said he hoped major players like the United States and Britain might also get involved.
He said activity along the Line of Control (LoC) that divides the two portions of Kashmir was “hot” and that Pakistan had shot down two Indian drones in the last few days.
There had been regular firing by Pakistani and Indian soldiers day and night, though so far there had been no casualties, he said.
Pakistan had also detected Indian Rafale fighter jets flying near the LoC, though they had not crossed, he added.
The Indian Air Force did not respond to a request for comment, though an Indian military official said Rafale jets were doing their usual training and drills along the LoC.
Chaudhry said he had not received intelligence on when and where India was expected to strike, but his administration was working with groups such as the Red Crescent Society to prepare extra medical and food supplies in case of any conflict.
“Red Crescent are working on it and we are working on displaced people in affected areas,” he said.
He said that the international community also needed to pay more attention to Kashmir’s long-term future.
“I think this is the right time for the international community as a whole and the UN to play some mediating role in Kashmir,” he said.
“It’s been a very long time and the people of Kashmir have suffered a lot.”
Pakistan-administered Kashmir has its own elected government but Pakistan handles major issues like defense and its residents hold many of the rights of Pakistani citizens.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke to Pakistan and India on Tuesday, stressing the need to avoid confrontation. The US and Britain have also called for calm.
China to lift sanctions on EU Parliament members, official says
- China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe
- The sanctions China is lifting, according to the official, were imposed in 2021
BRUSSELS: China has decided to lift sanctions on four members of the European Parliament as well as on its subcommittee on human rights, a parliament official told Reuters.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said European Parliament President Roberta Metsola is expected to announce the change on Wednesday. The official initially said sanctions would be lifted for four current members and one former member but later said the decision applied only to four current members.
China has grown keen to forge closer economic and political ties with Europe to limit the damage from tariffs on most of its exports to the United States.
The sanctions China is lifting, according to the official, were imposed in 2021 in response to Western measures against Chinese officials accused of the mass detentions of Muslim Uyghurs.
In response to the Chinese sanctions on its members, the European Parliament halted the ratification of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment, which had aimed to put EU companies on an equal footing in China.
Asked about reports that Beijing would lift sanctions, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a news conference on Wednesday that “the economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe is complementary and mutually beneficial.”
“The legislative bodies of China and the EU are an important part of China-EU relations, and we hope that the two sides will meet each other halfway and strengthen exchanges,” he said, adding that “members of the European Parliament are welcome to visit China more often.”
Burkina Faso junta rallies supporters after claimed coup ‘plot’
- On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a ‘major plot’ planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast
- Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle
ABIDJAN: Several thousand people rallied in support of Burkina Faso’s ruling junta Wednesday, days after the military authorities said they had uncovered a “plot” to overthrow the government.
Demonstrators carried giant posters of junta leader Captain Ibrahim Traore and Burkinabe and Russian flags.
With placards bearing slogans such as: “Down with imperialism and its local lackeys” and “Full support for President Ibrahim Traore and the people of Burkina Faso,” they gathered in a central square in the capital Ouagadougou.
It was one of the biggest pro-junta demonstrations since Traore seized power in a September 2022 coup in the west African country, which has been battling jihadist attacks for a decade that have killed tens of thousands of people.
On April 21, the junta claimed to have undone a “major plot” planned by masterminds in neighboring Ivory Coast, with the arrests of several top army officials.
Traore has regularly accused Ivory Coast of harboring his opponents, allegations its neighbor rejects.
Over more than a year, the junta has detained several dozen military officers, including former gendarmerie chief of staff Evrard Somda, accusing them of plotting or of attempting to destabilize republican institutions.
Authorities regularly repress dissent, notably within civil society and the media, claiming it as part of the anti-militant battle.
Prime Minister Rimtalba Jean Emmanuel Ouedraogo addressed the rally which was also attended by several ministers and MPs and called by the National Coordination of the Civilian Vigil (CNAVC), a coalition of pro-junta civil society groups.
“We must stand up more than ever because when the people stand up, the imperialists tremble,” the prime minister told the crowd.
Rallies condemning the “hypocrisy” of former colonial powers also took place in Burkina’s second biggest city Bobo Dioulasso and in Boromo.
“We, peoples who love justice and sovereignty, affirm our unwavering solidarity with the heroic struggle of the Burkinabe people for their emancipation,” a CNAVC spokesman said.
“This mobilization is proof that the people are committed to their leaders,” Ghislain Some, CNAVC secretary general, said.
“The people are standing up, mobilized and united behind captain Ibrahim Traore. We will never be able to harm our president or destabilize our country. We are a shield,” Some said.
Adama Kima, one of the organizers, said on national television that the rally was also to denounce remarks attributed to US Africa Command chief General Michael Langley accusing Traore of using the country’s gold reserves for personal protection at the expense of the well-being of the people.
Like its neighbors Niger and Mali, Burkina Faso under Traore has turned away from its former colonial master France and moved closer to Russia.
All three of those Sahel states have been battling violence by militants linked to Al-Qaeda and the Daesh group for a decade.
The three junta-led countries quit the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) at the beginning of the year, accusing the regional bloc of being subservient to France, and have formed the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), originally set up as a defense pact in 2023 but which now seeks closer integration.
William and Kate release romantic image on low-key anniversary
- The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color
- The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials
LONDON: Prince William and his wife Catherine marked their 14th anniversary by releasing a romantic photograph of themselves on the Scottish island of Mull, as the princess continues her cancer recovery.
The heir to the throne and Catherine, also known as Kate, were pictured looking out to sea on a shoreline with their arms around each other.
The couple were dressed casually in open-necked shirts, jackets and boots, with Catherine showcasing a new light brown hair color.
The picture was posted on their official social media accounts with a heart emoji and signed with their initials.
“Wonderful to be back on the Isle of Mull. Thank you to everyone for such a warm welcome W & C,” it said.
The couple opted for a low-key anniversary celebration including a stay at a self-catering cottage on the secluded west coast island.
They married on April 29, 2011, at London’s Westminster Abbey in a ceremony watched by tens of millions around the world.
During the two-day visit to the islands of Mull and Iona, William and Catherine spent time with members of the local communities “reflecting on the power of social connection and the importance of protecting and championing the natural environment” — two subjects close to both their hearts, according to their Kensington Palace office.
They previously visited Mull when they were students at Scotland’s University of St. Andrews where they met.
The island, Scotland’s fourth-largest, has a population of around 3,000 people, and is known for its fishing and farming communities.
Engagements included a visit to an artisan market in the Mull town of Tobermory and a local croft where they learned about sustainable farming and hospitality.
On Wednesday they joined children and parents at a woodland play group offering den building, nature trails and animal tracking.
The issue of childrens’ early years development has been described as mother-of-three Catherine’s life’s work by aides.
She has also stressed the healing role of nature in her own recovery following a cancer diagnosis last year.
Catherine, whose formal title is Princess of Wales, revealed in January she was “in remission,” having announced in March last year that she had been diagnosed with an unspecified form of the disease and was undergoing chemotherapy.
She has since returned to frontline public duties but with a slimmed-down schedule and shorter engagements.
Her diagnosis came as William’s father King Charles III also battled cancer for which he is still undergoing treatment.
The royal couple were due to wrap up their trip later Wednesday with a visit by public ferry to the neighboring island of Iona.
Although Iona has a population of only around 170 people it receives around 130,000 visitors a year.
