Wifaq ul Madaris al-Arabia Pakistan, the federation of Islamic seminaries, has barred both boys and girls madaris from collecting money from students for annual convocation ceremonies.
In a letter issued to the administrations of seminaries across the country, the federation noted that annual events are usually held under the titles Khatm-e-Bukhari and Takmeel-e-Hifz-ul-Quran. However, it was observed that in recent years these ceremonies have increasingly become plagued with irregularities and un-Islamic practices.
The federation stated that studentsómany of whom come from poor or middle-class backgroundsóare often asked to pay thousands of rupees to fund these events, placing an unacceptable financial burden on them.
Wifaq ul Madaris also highlighted the misuse of collected funds, noting that in some seminaries, the money is spent on expensive attires for administrators and teachers, while in certain cases, gold jewelry is purchased and gifted to female administrators.