Need to revisit teachings in madrassas, says Pakistan Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa

In an unusual move, Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa has criticised the role of mushrooming madrassas, which mostly taught only Islamic theology, underlining the need to revisit the religious schools concept in the Muslim majority country.

"I am not against madrassas, but we have lost the essence of madrassas," the Nation newspaper quoted the powerful General telling a youth conference in Quetta, capital of the restive Balochistan province, stressing the need to revisit the religious schools concept.

Speaking at a seminar on 'Human resource development — opportunities and challenges' yesterday, he noted that there were more religious seminaries established in Balochistan than the modern and quality schools during the past four decades.

"Only religious education is being imparted to the students at all the seminaries and thus the students educated from the seminaries are left behind in the race for development," he was quoted as saying by The Express Tribune.

"We need to look at and revisit the concept of madrassas...We need to give them a worldly education," he was quoted as saying.