Sunday, August 7 2005 16:57 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Islamabad: Notwithstanding reservations expressed by the ruling as well as Islamic parties, President Pervez Musharraf has said he stood by his decision to deport hundreds of foreigners studying in madrassas in Pakistan as the Government informed diplomats of 56 countries of its move to send them back home.

Foreign students from madrasas would be sent back to their respective countries and there would be no reconsideration of this decision, Musharraf said during an interaction with journalists from Sindh province at Rawalpindi yesterday (August 6, 2005).

According to official estimates about 1400 students studied in Pakistan's madrasas but media reports said that the numbers could be higher than 4000 as many students were either Afghan refugees or foreign students enrolled into the religious schools while staying here on visiting visa. In Multan alone officials spotted 1,474 students studying in four seminaries.

The Government appeared firm and informed diplomats of 56 countries of its decision to deport the foreign students.

Letters were sent to embassies of Afghanistan, Iran, Indonesia, Yamen, Sudan, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Oman, Libya, Palestine, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Brunei, Qattar, Lebanon, Morocco and Central Asian States. But no date was set yet for their repatriation.

Significantly, Musharraf reasserted his decision in the presence of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) President Shujaat Hussain, who also attended the President's meeting with Sindh journalists.

Hussain, though a close confident of Musharraf, was the first to express his reservations when the General made announcement two weeks ago.

Hussain said he would recommend to the President to let those foreign students who were cleared by officials to continue their studies. He later met Musharraf but it appeared that the President was firm on his decision.

As expected, his move to deport foreign students was also opposed by Islamist alliance Muthahida Majlis Amal (MMA) as most of madasas were controlled by clerics who formed the core of its membership.

MMA threatened to unleash an agitation against the Government's decision and even contemplated taking legal recourse.

Fazlur Rehman, MMA General Secretary and Leader of opposition in National Assembly, said the foreign students could be expelled if they were a threat to the national security.

"There is not justification in expelling the foreign students who have come to Pakistan on a valid visa," he told reporters in Multan.

He also claimed that madrasas were producing true mulisms who loved humanity irrespective of creed and colour.

He termed Musharraf as a reactionary and his philosophy of enlightened moderation as false. He also questioned the judgement of the Supreme Court striking down several clauses of the Islamic Hisba (Accountability) bill brought in by MMA Government in North West Frontier Province.