Pakistan seizes faith schools in crackdown

Pakistan intensified its crackdown against Islamist militants on Thursday, with the government saying it had taken control of 182 religious schools and detained more than 100 people as part of its push against banned groups.

The move represents Pakistan’s biggest move against banned organisations in years and appears to be targeting Islamic welfare organisations that the United States says are a front for militant activities.

Pakistan is facing pressure from global powers to act against groups carrying out attacks in India, including Jaishe-Mohammed (JeM), which claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack in which at least 40 Indian paramilitary police were killed.

The escalating tension in the wake of the bombing led to a major confrontation between the nuclear-armed rivals, with both countries launching aerial bombing missions and even engaging in a brief dogfight that prompted fears of a war.

Pakistani officials say the crackdown is part of a longplanned drive and not a response to Indian anger over what New Delhi calls Islamabad’s failure to rein in militant groups operating in Pakistan.

Previous crackdowns against anti-India militants have broadly been cosmetic, with the groups able to survive and continue operations.

The interior ministry said law enforcement agencies had placed 121 people in detention as part of the crackdown that began this week.

“Provincial governments have taken in their control management and administration of 182 seminaries [madrasas],” the ministry said, referring to religious schools.

What to do with madrasas is a thorny issue in Pakistan, a deeply conservative Muslim nation where religious schools are often blamed for radicalisation of youngsters, but are the only education available to millions of poor children.

The ministry said other institutions from different groups had been taken over, including 34 schools or colleges, 163 dispensaries, 184 ambulances, five hospitals and eight offices of banned organisations.

Many banned groups such as JeM run seminaries – which counter-terrorism officials say are used as recruiting grounds for militant outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawa, which operates hospitals and ambulances, and is estimated to run about 300 madrasas across the country.

The government banned the group this week. –

‘Provincial governments have taken in their control 182 seminaries [madrasas]’

INTERIOR MINISTRY