August 2019 Agreement Between ITM and PTI Government Revealed

Islamabad: The August 2019 agreement between the Ittehad Tanzimat Madaris (ITM) and the PTI government has come to light. According to the details, the ITM had signed an agreement to link religious seminaries with the Ministry of Education. The agreement was signed by PTI’s federal minister Shafqat Mehmood during the party’s tenure.
Under the agreement, all religious seminaries were made mandatory to register with the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education was designated as the sole authority responsible for collecting data on religious schools, while a joint decision was made to shut down unregistered seminaries.
The agreement also stipulated that registration could be revoked in case of violation of rules and regulations. Moreover, seminaries were required to open bank accounts, and foreign students were allowed to receive education in these institutions. The goals of a uniform curriculum were also set as part of the agreement.
The agreement was aimed at educational reforms, with the government assuring the provision of financial support and resources. It was hailed as a milestone in the country’s educational landscape.
Speaking to Express News, former Federal Minister Shafqat Mehmood stated that the ITM had requested the religious schools be placed under the Ministry of Education instead of the Ministry of Interior. Efforts were made to introduce a uniform curriculum across seminaries. He also mentioned that it was agreed upon that any seminaries that failed to register would be shut down.
Shafqat Mehmood further revealed that over 18,000 seminaries have been registered under the agreement so far, making it difficult to reverse the arrangement.