MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government has managed to register 80 per cent seminaries in the region as per requirements of National Action Plan (NAP), a senior government official told this in a statement on Tuesday.
While addressing a a seminar about the role of religious scholars in link with NAP, secretary Auqaf and religious affairs Syed Nazirul Hassan Gillani said “In all 10 districts of Azad Kashmir, more than 45,000 students getting free education in 1,150 seminaries have been registered as per the requirements of NAP,” said the secretary Auqaf and religious affairs Syed Nazirul Hassan Gillani.
He said that the rest of 450 religion-educating institutes will also be registered by a few months. He, however, said a complete mapping of all madrassa’s (registered and unregistered) had been done. He said the rules for registration had been updated as per the guidelines of NAP and all those seminaries which fulfilled the conditions laid down in Madaris Registration Rules 1991 had been registered.
The official added that workshops were held in all three divisional headquarters to create awareness among Ulema about their role and responsibilities regarding the implementation of NAP. Due to the proper registration, all seminaries would take uniform benefit from the government that would eventually help them maintain the highest educational standards and compete with other state run educational institutions, he said.
Gillani said the data collected about the seminaries was also shared with the federal interior ministry to put these religious institutions under proper monitoring and government supervision. On the occasion, religious scholars vowed to continue their efforts to maintain peace and sectarian harmony in the region.
Those scholars who had played a commendable role in this regard were also given certificates.
