Pakistan Shuts Down 182 Religious Schools

Pakistani students at a madrassa in the city of Haripur recite aloud from the Quran in hopes of memorizing the entire holy book.

Islamabad, 20 Rabiul Akhir 1437/30 January 2016 (MINA) – Pakistani security authorities have shut down 182 madrassas- or religious schools-across the country for being involved in stoking extremism.

Security sources said on Friday the authorities also froze bank accounts of 162 banned organisations as part of a strategy to dry up funds used by terrorists.

The effort is part of a national anti-terror action plan approved unanimously by Pakistani political parties in December 2014, Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) reported, quoting WAM.

The sources added that security authorities put the banned organisations under surveillance to detect any suspected activities.

Recent reports have pointed to Pakistan’s Islamic, religious schools as training grounds for terrorists. But most students attend the schools for a purely spiritual purpose. (T/R07/R01)

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Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)