January 2, 2006	Monday	Zilhaj 1, 1426

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LAHORE, Jan 1: The Jamaat-i-Islami will launch a countrywide campaign against the government’s decision to hand over the educational boards to the Aga Khan University and expelling foreign students from seminaries. A decision to the effect was taken at a meeting of the party’s central shoora (consultative body) here on Sunday with Qazi Husain Ahmad in the chair.

A press release issued to announce the decision did not spell out modalities of the campaign.

Condemning banishment of foreign students from seminaries, especially when several foreign NGOs were allowed to freely open their educational institutions here, it demanded immediate withdrawal of the ban.

It said the meeting unanimously adopted a resolution, expressing grave concern over the state of affairs in the education sector. Class-based educational institutional were being encouraged as the private sector was violating all official rules and regulations aimed at regulating the sector, it added.

The resolution condemned exorbitant increase in tuition fees and promotion of immorality through co-education.

Specific classes and big cities were being provided favour in the name of entrance tests, thus creating disappointment among the poor masses.

According to the resolution, de-regulation of the preparation of syllabi had been undertaken under foreign pressure and “to serve neo-colonial powers.”

The shoora condemned removal of verses on Jihad, freedom, biographies of Islamic heroes and ideology of Pakistan from the syllabi of Islamic and Pakistan studies. Provocative material was being included in the syllabi without any check, it alleged.

It further alleged that the Aga Khan Foundation had been given 1,000 acres free of cost in Karachi to ensure its hegemony in the educational sector for controlling all schools and colleges.

The shoora demanded implementation of the Article 251 about adoption of Urdu as official language and medium of instruction in the country.

Meanwhile, through another resolution, it criticized raise in gas tariff and high petroleum prices, though they were dipping in the world market.

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