KARACHI, 4 August 2005 — Madrasas in Karachi have asked the government to give them time to deport foreign students.
At a meeting with Sindh Home Secretary Brig. Ghulam Muhammad Mohtaram, representatives of various madrasas said they needed until September to start deportation.
The Sindh home secretary told the madrasa representatives that their request would be forwarded to the federal government for consideration.
One of the madrasa representatives said they were told that a meeting was scheduled in Islamabad today that could consider their request.
Sources said the provincial government had offered to bear the expenses of a chartered flight to repatriate the students to their countries if the madrasas agreed to it.
According to the sources, the representatives of madrasas initially opposed the decision to expel foreign students, arguing they were never involved in terrorist or criminal activities. But later they conceded saying they needed time to deport the students.
They argued that the annual examinations were scheduled to start from Sept. 17 and the students should be allowed to take the examinations.
Sources said the madrasas were earlier told to hold the annual examinations before schedule so that the students could be deported as soon as possible. But the madrasas expressed inability to do so saying the examinations were being held under an education board.
The government wants to deport some 1,400 foreign students studying in religious schools in the country.
There are no official figures available on the number of foreign students in the madrasas of Karachi.
