ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Wednesday unanimously approved the Compulsory Teaching of the Holy Quran Act 2017. The act was approved and referred by the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training in February.
As per the contents of the bill, the teaching of ‘Naazrah Quran’ will be mandatory for the students of Grade I to V whereas translation of the Holy Quran will be taught to Grade VI to XII.
After getting a green light from the House the law would be tabled in the Senate for its approval after which it will be sent to the president.
The law will be applicable on Muslims students only.
Lawmaker Naeema Kishwar Khan had proposed an amendment in the bill to the word ‘private schools’ after the ‘federal government’, but same was not carried out in the approved draft of the bill.
Talking to Daily Times, State Minister for Federal Education Baleeghur Rehman clarified that the proposed amendment was not made a part of the bill to avoid repetition because the same matter was already included in another clause of the bill.
He said, “It is the blessing of almighty Allah that the assembly passed the bill after which every student will receive Quranic education.”
To a question about difference of opinion among various religious schools of thought over the Quranic translation, he said, “We have taken onboard the religious scholars of all sects having majority in the country including Deobandi, Brelvi and Shia and we have enough material to be taught in the schools on which there is no difference.”
He also explained that there will be no need to hire new teachers as every teacher can teach simple translation of the Holy Quran. “We are not going to deliver that how to translate the Holy Quran from Arabic language into Urdu language, but just to teach simple translation of Holy Quran so there is no need of a specialist teacher in the field,” he added.