History has witnessed that the wrong actions of rulers have always had a significant negative impact on society. Pakistan has faced many problems and hurdles in its chequered history, both internal and external. It would not be wrong to say that the past rulers’ actions and decisions created more problems for the country than external foes. In recent decades, we have witnessed rising cases of sexual exploitation and deaths of children in Madrassahs. The writ of the state has not been maintained yet. Even powerful quarters are reluctant to take action against Madrassahs and the religious clergy.

The writ of the state is no longer applicable to them.

The complexity of this matter needs deeper scrutiny to delve into the nexus between the Mullah and the state. The recent brutal killing of a Madrassah student should awaken our consciousness to raise our voices against the prevalent corporal punishment and sexual exploitation in religious institutions, where the scrutiny and writ of the state are limited.

Thus, corporal punishment and sexual exploitation of the children are against the constitutional norm of Pakistan, but this parallel education system is not answerable for the actions they are committing against human rights. Corporal punishment was, however, banned in the Islamabad Capital Territory in 2021. Laws are in place in four provinces (Sindh, KP, Punjab); however, enforcement remains weak.  Sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) dealing with abuse and sexual exploitation of children would include Sections 328, 354, 376, and 377. Pakistan is also a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).

The teacher beat Muhammad Hussain to death in 2019 when he was just 10 years old and a student at the madrasah in Karachi. Corporal punishment proved fatal for a 7-year-old schoolboy who succumbed to internal injuries in Lahore in 2018. The teacher of a 10-year-old schoolgirl in Faisalabad severely beat her in 2019, which led to her death due to injuries sustained.

Where seven new cases were reported from several unrecognizable Madrassahs in Sindh and Punjab, videos of each being shared on social media added adrenaline to outrage from 2020 to 2024. 2019, Vehari. The Madrassah teacher was arrested for raping a 12-year-old boy. The religious teacher was convicted of sexually abusing two young male students in 2020 in Karachi. 2020 was a convention of recruiting attorneys for family pressure; hush money became famous between 2022 and 2024 for sexual abuse cases involving Madrassahs in Punjab, KP, and Sindh.

Corporal punishment and sexual exploitation of children are against the constitutional norms of Pakistan.

Undoubtedly, steps have been taken by the previous governments to mainstream religious institutions, but failed. After the Army Public School attack, the National Action Plan was formulated to regulate Madrassahs and their funding and transactions. But despite the serious actions, the government had failed to get decisive results.

The National Education Plan in 2009 emphasized mainstreaming religious institutions, but the policy remained on paper only. The former Govt also took steps to regulate Madrassahs under the single national curriculum and created a board under the Ministry of Education. Religious clerics and other powerful religious groups were reluctant to work under the Ministry of Education because they would be scrutinized, answerable to the government, and liable under the tax system. According to reports,35000 Madrassahs are operating in the country, but the real numbers are higher than the quoted figure.

The parallel education system is present in the country, which is far from the sight and scrutiny of the government and the writ of the state is no longer applicable to them. Questions must be asked about where the funding for this organization is coming from. Religious authorities fear that if reforms take place, their religious and administrative autonomy would be eroded and they persistently fear that the reforms are westernized and will hurt their ideological basis in the country.

Therefore, it is not to blame all Madrassahs, but the statistics show how these institutions are limiting the mindsets of our youth, who could otherwise become assets for the country. For instance, thousands of Talibs are receiving education from Madrassahs, where they are taught only Islamic teachings, which are often based on memorization techniques. Even, the religious authorities discourage them from acquiring STEM education or engaging in outdoor activities to enhance critical thinking abilities.

Extremist mindsets are being developed by extremist religious clerics in Madrassahs.

Students are distanced from the real world and from becoming assets for the country. Extremist mindsets are being developed by extremist religious clerks in Madrassahs, which are dangerous for the harmony and coexistence of our society. When the government tries to reform the curriculum and add STEM education, religious authorities are sacred of developing mindsets full of critical thinking and progressive behavior, which could challenge the actions of their masters.

One cannot ignore that Islam is the religion spread across the work not by military might but with intellectualism. The golden era of Islam is a case in point. Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina, Al-Razi, Al-Biruni, Ibn al-Haytha, Omar Khayyam, Ibn KhaldunJabir ibn Hayyan, -Farabi, Ibn Battuta, Al-Tusi and others were the minds Islam produced. But the current limitations on the mindset of the students of religious institutions in Pakistan are contrary to the teachings of Islam. STEM education is not against Islamic teachings; in fact, it is highly prioritized in the holy Quran and the teachings of the Holy Prophet.

STEM education is not against Islamic teachings; in fact, it is highly prioritized in the holy Quran.

Reforming Madrassahs is an important task for the government. The existing parallel system in the country must be mainstreamed to scrutinize the functioning of thousands of these institutions and to prevent child exploitation. The world is moving towards AI; thousands of students being prevented from learning other subjects, courses, and skills will become unmanageable for the country. These are our assets; we must take steps to revise the Madrassah curriculum and incorporate other subjects, to make these students able to find jobs in the future and not be limited to a narrow mindset.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the Stratheia.