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Valid visa?: Seminaries to be scrutinised for foreign student enrolment
By Riaz Ahmad
Published: April 29, 2014
PESHAWAR: The presence of foreign students in seminaries in Peshawar is being noted by the police, insiders told The Express Tribune.
The survey is not limited to foreign students but data on the number of teachers and students at these schools is also being collected.
“Do not confuse Afghan refugees with these foreign students. We have been told not to consider refugees with legal ID cards as foreigners but everyone else will be dealt as an outsider,” said an official. “We are also not looking for international students who are present in the country legally.”
Those familiar with the matter said there is a low probability of finding many illegal students in Peshawar district.
“We are mainly focusing on students who are here illegally. In the past, dozens of foreigners used to come to Pakistan, especially the Federally Administer Tribal Areas (Fata) to pursue religious education,” argued another official.
At present, the survey has yielded several interesting statistics. The official shared that one small madrassa which they came across had at least 39 teachers working there. “You will hardly ever find 39 teachers at a high school,” he said.
The number of students enrolled at seminaries is also higher than earlier estimations, they shared.
“We are collecting data on these religious schools as well as the number of local, Afghan and foreign staff and pupils there – especially those staying in the country illegally,” said the official.
Many of the well-known seminaries are already registered with the government. It is estimated only a few small madrassas are operational in Peshawar sans registration.
This survey is being carried out in Peshawar during the first phase, after which it will be rolled out across the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2014.
By Riaz Ahmad
Published: April 29, 2014
PESHAWAR: The presence of foreign students in seminaries in Peshawar is being noted by the police, insiders told The Express Tribune.
The survey is not limited to foreign students but data on the number of teachers and students at these schools is also being collected.
“Do not confuse Afghan refugees with these foreign students. We have been told not to consider refugees with legal ID cards as foreigners but everyone else will be dealt as an outsider,” said an official. “We are also not looking for international students who are present in the country legally.”
Those familiar with the matter said there is a low probability of finding many illegal students in Peshawar district.
“We are mainly focusing on students who are here illegally. In the past, dozens of foreigners used to come to Pakistan, especially the Federally Administer Tribal Areas (Fata) to pursue religious education,” argued another official.
At present, the survey has yielded several interesting statistics. The official shared that one small madrassa which they came across had at least 39 teachers working there. “You will hardly ever find 39 teachers at a high school,” he said.
The number of students enrolled at seminaries is also higher than earlier estimations, they shared.
“We are collecting data on these religious schools as well as the number of local, Afghan and foreign staff and pupils there – especially those staying in the country illegally,” said the official.
Many of the well-known seminaries are already registered with the government. It is estimated only a few small madrassas are operational in Peshawar sans registration.
This survey is being carried out in Peshawar during the first phase, after which it will be rolled out across the province.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 29th, 2014.
