Tightening the noose on Islamic seminaries in Pakistan, President Pervez Musharraf has promulgated an ordinance prohibiting madrasas from teaching or publishing any literature which promoted militancy, spread sectarianism and religious hatred.
The ordinance, called Societies Registration (second amendment) Ordinance-2005, will come into force with immediate effect in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
Similar ordinances were expected to be issued by the four provincial governments.
The amendment to the ordinance makes it mandatory for every madrasa in Islamabad to register with the government and submit audit reports of their accounts as well as educational activities. Also, all madrasas, if not already registered, should do so before the end of this year.
According to the ordinance, no seminary would teach or publish any literature which promotes militancy and spread sectarianism and religious hatred.
Official estimates said Pakistan has over 25,000 madrasas across the country. The capital itself has several hundreds, most of them located in prime locations.
The ordinance was worked out in the aftermath of the 7/7 London bombings in which some of the suicide bombers allegedly underwent training in Pakistan madrasas.
It would be applicable to religious institutions meant primarily for religious education, Jamia, Darul Uloom, school, college or university or called by any other name, set up for the purpose of imparting religious education with boarding and lodging facilities.
The ordinance directs all madrasas to submit annual report of its educational activities to the registrar of societies.
Similarly, it has been made mandatory for every religious institution to carry out audit of its accounts by an auditor and submit a copy of its audit report to the registrar of the societies.
Most of the madrasas were initially reluctant to submit their accounts and source of funds as most of them received funding from various Gulf and Islamic countries. The government was hopeful that all the madrasas would be registered as most of them functioned under one association which has conveyed its tacit agreement.
Meanwhile, the government's plans to introduce close circuit cameras in most of the mosques to ensure safety and monitor the speeches by the preachers was opposed by Islamist alliance Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and Jamaat-e-Ahl-e-Sunnah.
The two organisations held protest demonstrations during Friday prayers.
Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao on Wednesday announced that cameras would be installed to ensure safety of mosques and imambargahs.