DENIZENS OF ALIEN WORLDS
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87<br />
They send examination papers, in Urdu and Arabic, to the madrassas where pupils sit for<br />
examinations and declare results. The names of the boards are as follows:-<br />
Box 5.1<br />
Central Boards of Madrassas in Pakistan<br />
Name Sub-Sect Place Date Established<br />
Wafaq ul Madaris Deobandi Multan 1959<br />
Tanzim ul Madaris Barelvi Lahore 1960<br />
Wafaq ul Madaris Shia Lahore 1959<br />
(Shia) Pakistan<br />
Rabta-tul-Madaris-al- Jamat-i-Islami Lahore 1983<br />
Islamia<br />
Wafq-ul-Madaris-al- Ahl-i-Hadith Faislabad 1955<br />
Salafia<br />
Source: Offices of the respective Boards.<br />
At independence there were 137, or even fewer, madrassas. In April 2002, Dr.<br />
Mahmood Ahmed Ghazi, the Minister of Religious Affairs, put the figure at 10,000 with<br />
1.7 million students (ICG 2002: 2). They belong to the major sects of Islam, the Sunnis<br />
and the Shias, However, Pakistan being a predominantly Sunni country, the Shia ones are<br />
very few. Among the Sunni ones there are three sub-sects: Deobandis, Barelvis and the<br />
Ahl-i-Hadith (salafi). Besides these, the revivalist Jamat-e-Islami also has its own<br />
madrassas.<br />
The number of madrassas has been increasing during General Zia ul Haq‘s rule<br />
(1977-1988). During the war by Islamic Afghan groups in Afghanistan against the Soviet<br />
Union the United States sent in money, arms and ammunition through Pakistan which is<br />
said to have been used to support the madrassas. Later, presumably because religiously<br />
inspired and madrassa students infiltrated across the line of control to fight the Indian<br />
army in Kashmir, they were supported by the Pakistan army (specifically the Inter<br />
Services Intelligence agency). However, both the ISI and the madrassas deny these links<br />
(see several issues of Wafaq al Madaris) and therefore, it cannot be ascertained as to how<br />
many madrassas have increased by the financial aid provided by foreign donors or the<br />
Pakistan army. The increase in the number of registered madrassas is as follows (for<br />
details of increase in provinces see Annexure 4).