ISLAMABAD: Allama Tahir Ashrafi, the head of the Pakistan Ulema Council, on Sunday publicly opposed Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s position on the registration and regulation of madrasahs in Pakistan.
In his recent statement, Ashrafi emphasized that madrasahs are educational institutions and should therefore be registered under the Ministry of Education, rather than the Ministry of Industries, as suggested by Rehman.
Ashrafi recalled the consensus reached in 2019 on the registration process of madrasahs, following multiple discussions and consultations. Key figures, including former Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, played a central role in ensuring that the registration framework was carefully deliberated and finalized. He urged that political motives should not disrupt the agreed-upon process, which took years to develop.
To date, 18,000 madrasahs have already registered under the current framework. Ashrafi warned that constant changes would lead to confusion and open the door for political manipulation, potentially undermining the stability of the system and the future of millions of students in madrasahs.
He further pointed out that 10 out of the 15 madrasa boards have distanced themselves from the proposed changes. Ashrafi reiterated that any madrasa wishing to affiliate with the Ministry of Industries is free to do so, but the broader system should remain under the Ministry of Education.
This disagreement has once again brought the issue of madrasa registration into the political discourse, with Ashrafi stressing the importance of maintaining stability and consistency for the sake of both the students and the madrasa system in Pakistan.
