PESHAWAR - Jamiat Talba Islam (Ideological group) has voiced concern over crackdown on religious seminaries and urged the government to stop the ‘illegal’ action immediately.
Speaking at a news conference at press club here on Monday, JTI- Ideological group Central President Abdul Hameed Sherani said that the government has launched a crackdown on religious seminaries and arrested students in the garb of National Action Plan (NAP) across the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He termed these raids on religious seminaries unjustified, which must be stopped immediately.
Sherani went on to say that the NAP was meant to take action against extortionists, target killers and eradicate terrorism but the incumbent government using it against religious seminaries, which is unjustified. The JTI leader said the kidnappers, extortionists, target killers and criminals were still at large to carry out their criminal activities across the board. He criticised the government and security agencies for their hesitation to take prompt action against the anti-state elements.
Flanked by JTI Provincial President Engineer Naseer Dawar, Salman Khan, and Tariq Shah, Sherani also criticised the incumbent PTI-led provincial government for its failure to bring any positive change in education sector. He also said that no concrete measures were being taken to improve literacy ratio in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa whereas private educational institutions increased fees by 100 per cent in name of security purpose but the provincial government kept criminal silence over these important issue.
He added the provincial government has kept focus on only to change the uniform of schools children instead of focusing on provision of basic facilities. “We don’t object the introduction of uniform in schools but the new proposed uniform would definitely develop difference among the rich and poor,” he said, adding change of uniform was not a job of education department. The introduction of pant and shirt in government-run schools is tantamount to deprive Pakhtuns of their Islamic and social traditions.
JTI leader asked the provincial government’s step was aimed to end rich culture and traditions of Pakhtuns, which is not acceptable to them, he said, urging promotion of mother language and traditional dress instead of promoting western culture in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Similarly, he said fresh graduates of various universities were deprived of Higher Education Commission’s scholarships, which is tantamount to shut door of higher education for them.