Report compiled for geo-tagging, registration of madrassas

ISLAMABAD: The federal authorities have compiled a report on geotagging and registration of madrassas (seminaries) across the country while making a step forward in bringing the religious institutions under the education ministry, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

In the latest development, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has increased its pace of work to complete registration and geotagging of religious seminaries, as well as compiled a comprehensive report for its progress, a copy of which obtained by ARY News.

Sources said that the report will be forwarded to all provinces. The seminaries will be brought under control of the Ministry of Education during the first phase of the process, sources added.

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The process of geotagging was made out in Punjab and Islamabad, the report said. The counter-terrorism authority has also completed geotagging of seminaries up to 85 per cent in erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), 75 per cent in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), 80 per cent in Sindh and 60 per cent in Balochistan.

Moreover, NACTA officials claimed to have completed the registration of seminaries up to 90 per cent in Punjab in the report, whereas a new directorate will be established for new registrations.

It was decided that KP education department will complete registration of new madrassas across the province.

Sindh authorities have once again failed to perform well in the process as the NACTA report highlights that not a single seminary was registered in the provincial despite the police was tasked for it.

In Balochistan, the authority has sent geo-tagged data of madrassas to the provincial education department for initiation of the next phase of registration, stated the report.

Another decision was taken by the federal authorities for an audit of madrassahs which would be completed by education departments of all provinces.