Quetta Seminaries Registration to Be Fast-Tracked
Quetta seminaries registration will be fast-tracked for 96 unregistered religious seminaries, Dawn reported, as the division pushes ahead with a wider effort to bring seminaries, schools and health services under closer oversight.
Quetta Division Commissioner Zeeshan Lashari issued the order while chairing a Divisional Monitoring Committee meeting. Deputy commissioners and representatives of law enforcement and federal agencies attended.
Mr Lashari directed the Special Branch to provide updated geographic details for the seminaries. He also directed the Balochistan Charity Registration Authority to expedite their registration.
The meeting also reviewed public education and health services across the division, and examined counterterrorism measures including suspect profiling and intelligence coordination. Officials said records of 120 people listed under the Fourth Schedule had been uploaded to the BISA tracking dashboard.
Quetta seminaries registration: why it matters
Registration puts a seminary on the official record. It records where the institution operates, who runs it and how it is funded. For the authorities, that record is the starting point for oversight. For seminaries, registration brings them inside the formal system and opens the door to recognition and support.
Balochistan has been working on this for years. The province passed the Balochistan Madrassa Registration Act in 2019, giving the registration drive a legal framework. A province-wide drive earlier this year identified around 300 unregistered seminaries out of nearly 2,600 operating in Balochistan. The large majority were already registered.
The 96 seminaries in Quetta division are part of that remaining group. Their registration has now been made a priority, with the Special Branch asked to map each one before the paperwork moves forward.
The drive faces objections
The registration drive has not gone unchallenged. JUI-F Balochistan chief Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey objected to the notices issued to seminaries by the Quetta administration, describing them as pressure and harassment of religious institutions.
Mr Wasey said registration should be handled through consultation with seminary representatives and in line with the Constitution and the law. He alleged that the provincial government had avoided presenting a bill on seminaries in the Balochistan Assembly, and was instead pressing institutions through administrative notices.
The objection shows the tension at the heart of the drive. The administration sees registration as a routine governance task. Seminary leaders want it done through agreement, not notices. How the Quetta division handles the 96 registrations will test whether that gap can be closed.
Schools and teachers also under review
The commissioner’s office has been reviewing government departments across the division at the same time. Earlier in the week, officials reported that 125 inactive schools had been reopened and disciplinary action taken against 46 teachers.
The figures point to a broader push by the division administration: reopen closed schools, act against absent staff, and bring unregistered seminaries into the formal system in one coordinated effort.
Security remains part of the picture. The Divisional Monitoring Committee reviewed suspect profiling and intelligence coordination, and the uploading of Fourth Schedule records to the BISA dashboard gives agencies a shared tracking tool for people under watch.
Balochistan has seen repeated security and political flashpoints this year. A sit-in in Qila Abdullah ended this week after the government held talks with protesters and recovered an abducted man. The JUI-F has also staged protests against what it calls a coordinated campaign against its leader, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
Frequently asked questions
How many seminaries will be registered in Quetta?
Ninety-six unregistered religious seminaries in Quetta division will have their registration fast-tracked, on the orders of Division Commissioner Zeeshan Lashari.
Who is responsible for the registration?
The Balochistan Charity Registration Authority will handle the registration, using updated geographic details provided by the Special Branch.
What law covers seminary registration in Balochistan?
The Balochistan Madrassa Registration Act 2019 provides the legal framework for the registration, monitoring and regulation of seminaries in the province.
Why have some seminary leaders objected?
JUI-F Balochistan chief Maulana Abdul Wasey said registration notices amounted to pressure on religious institutions. He called for the matter to be resolved through consultation and in line with the Constitution and the law.
