‘17,738 seminaries and 2,249,520 students enrolled in madrasas across country’

The Ministry of Education presented detailed data on registered seminaries across Pakistan in the Senate and revealed a total of 17,738 institutions with 2,249,520 students registered countrywide.

Punjab accounted for 664,000 students, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 1,283,000, Sindh with 188,000, Balochistan with 71,000, and Islamabad with 11,301 students, according to the report.

The ministry explained that these madrasas did not receive direct financing, though 598 institutions had been provided with about 1,200 teachers through the Directorate General of Religious Education.

The Senate also addressed a motion by PTI ally Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, highlighting the situation in Parachinar. Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Chaudhry Salik Hussain assured cooperation with provincial authorities.

Moreover, the Tax Laws Amendment Bill 2024 was tabled in the Senate after its passage through the National Assembly and referred to the finance committee for further discussion.

Journalists staged a walkout from the press gallery in protest over cases filed under the PECA Act. Senators assured an inquiry into the matter.

In a separate written reply, the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination reported the disappearance of seven sports personnel abroad in the past three years, including three hockey players, three boxers, and one swimmer, who all faced lifetime bans.