Religious seminaries announce resuming classes from next month

KARACHI: The Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan and Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi, the two main boards governing seminaries in Pakistan, have announced to conduct examinations from 11-16th July.

Jamia Darul Uloom Karachi issued a statement and said students must follow SOPs during the examinations. They have also announced that madrassas will reopen and classes will resume activities from 5th August.

The Ittihad-e-Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Pakistan (ITMP) is also planning to resume learning activities at madrassahs on the same date, but will make a final decision after a meeting with Minister for Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mahmood on 7th July.

The ITMP is a conglomerate of five constituent boards, namely the Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan, the Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahl-e-Sunnat, the Rabita-ul-Madaris Al-Islamia, the Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Salfia and the Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Shia.

Wifaq-ul-Madaris spokesman Talha Rahmani said he hoped the government will surely allow madrasas to resume on-campus educational activities from 5th August.

He said that almost all seminaries were strictly following the SOPs announced by the federal and provincial governments which will be followed during annual examinations and afterward. He said the Sindh government’s response was positive but the date for reopening madrasas is yet to be decided.

The spokesman said if the government did not allow the reopening of seminaries, then the administrators of madrasas would be “free to take decisions in the interest of our students”.

“The reopening of seminaries in the month of August is very crucial for completing academic sessions and starting new sessions, else millions of students would lose one academic year,” he said, adding that Wifaq-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia has announced the schedule of annual examination only.

According to a press statement issued by the Wifaq ul Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan last week, those students who were enrolled in the seminaries of other provinces will attempt annual exams their respective districts which will be conducted in open spaces.