The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday dismissed the petition of a seminary student who was barred from taking a Wafaqul Madaris exam due to his short beard.
In its detailed judgement announced on Monday, IHC Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kiani directed the education secretary to submit suggestions to the federal government about legislation and regulation of seminaries within six months. He said the director general of religious education and the Education Ministry failed to officially develop rules and regulations for the seminaries. He said that rules and regulations should be developed for standard of education, eligibility of the teaching staff, syllabus, admissions and examination system. He said the Higher Education Commission is attesting degrees issued by the seminaries, but it does not have rules and regulations in this regard. He said it seems the government is delaying action on this issue intentionally due to political reasons. He said there is no law for registration of seminaries and checking the quality of education. He said that seminaries are working on their own due to absence of an effective legislation in the country.
He said that Wafaqul Madaris is not being regulated by any law therefore the petitioner cannot be given relief under Article 199 of the constitution.