Pakistan's Madrassa Boards Agree to Add Modern Sciences to Curriculum

Leaders of Pakistan's major madrassa boards and federations gathered at a meeting of the Muttahida Madaris Council Pakistan to discuss the future of religious education in the country, with participants agreeing to promote modern sciences and contemporary subjects alongside traditional Islamic studies.

The session brought together senior figures including Hafiz Muhammad Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, President of Wafaq-ul-Madaris wal Jamiaat-ud-Dinia Pakistan; Allama Dr. Mehr Asif Akbar, Nazim-e-Aala of Nizam-ul-Madaris Pakistan; and Maulana Muhammad Zubair Faheem, Central President of Ittehad-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia Pakistan, along with representatives of other boards from across the country.

Participants said madrassa students should gain expertise not only in religious sciences but also in modern intellectual, academic and practical knowledge, so that they can contribute effectively to national development. The meeting stressed that seminaries have for centuries played a central role in teaching the Holy Quran and Sunnah, moral education and social reform, and that these services should be strengthened further.

Female education received particular attention, with the council highlighting the importance of expanding opportunities for women to pursue both religious and contemporary education, improving the quality of facilities and providing a supportive academic environment. Female education was described as fundamental to the positive development of families and society.

The meeting also agreed to strengthen mutual cooperation, academic linkages and a joint strategy among madrassa federations, with better coordination in examinations, certifications, registration and administrative affairs to raise academic standards and create wider educational and professional opportunities for students.

Participants appreciated the efforts of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, and Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz Sharif on madrassa registration, access to banking facilities and the resolution of administrative issues, expressing hope that these processes would be simplified to allow seminaries to operate more efficiently.