ISLAMABAD: In a major boost to counter-extremism measures, the authorities have registered all 795 seminaries in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Frontier Regions of the Khyber-Pukhtunhwa (KP) province. The process of registration had started under the National Action Plan formed following the Army Public School (APS) attack. Speaking to Daily Times, Hashim Khan Afridi, the focal person of the Directorate of Education at the FATA Secretariat in Peshawar, said that the registration of seminaries in the region was a huge challenge since a military offensive had been underway against militant outfits. He said that of the 795 registered seminaries, 502 were catering to only male students, 173 to only females and 120 were offering co-education. According to the annual report of the Directorate of Education, there are 59,991 students enrolled at these facilities in primary and secondary levels. Around three fourth of this student body is male (45,908) and the rest is female (14,083). Before the current registration exercise, there were 387 religious seminaries in the region, while registration of 229 was incomplete, and 179 did not even apply for registration. The annual report shows that a major bulk of seminaries in the tribal region are located in the South Waziristan Agency. There are 290 seminaries spread out in the SWA, followed by 130 in Mohmand Agency, 91 in North Waziristan Agency, 62 in Kurram Agency, 56 in Khyber Agency, 49 in Bajaur Agency, and 22 in Orakzai Agency. In Frontier region, Banu has 38 seminaries, Kohat 26, Laki Marwat 14, Dera Ismael Khan, nine, and Tank five, while the frontier region connected with Peshawar has three religious seminaries. The report further reveals that of the 795 seminaries, almost 90 percent (683) are affiliated with the Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Arabia of the Deoband sect, 17 are affiliated with the Tanzeem-ul-Madaris of the Barelvi sect, 11 with Rabtaul-Madaris Al-Islamia of Jamaat Islami, and seven with Wafaq-ul-Madaris Al-Salafia (Ahle-Hadees), and four with Wafaq-ul-Madaris of Ahle-Tash’hih. As many as 73 seminaries have affiliation with no board. While the process of registration of seminaries was a tough task, it was carried out effectively with joint efforts of the Education Departments in different agencies and the political administration, said Hashim Khan Afridi. He said that with the completion of registration the authorities would now look into reforms in the quality of education imparted at seminaries. He said that after the National Action Plan various recommendation were discussed to counter radicalisation with the assistance of seminaries’ administrations. “We have started primary level classes at different seminaries. At least 200 teachers will be appointed at seminaries in the coming months to teach secular subjects to students,” he said, adding that a seminary in Wana area of South Waziristan was already offering education till graduation level. More seminaries would soon be upgraded so that higher level classes could be offered at these facilities as well. Afridi said that a project to improve infrastructure at seminaries across the region had been started in early 2017 and it continued till the mid of June, adding that the authorities were now working to initiate qualitative reforms in seminaries. Afridi said that a lack of trust and communication between seminaries’ managements and the government had initially impacted the pace of the registration process, but these issues were soon addressed with the help of confidence building measures. Published in Daily Times, May 18th 2018.