Pak scholars call for surprise raids on seminaries

Lahore, July 20 (ANI): A gathering of religious scholars, mostly from the Barelvi school of thought, have demanded surprise raids on all seminaries in Pakistan and a ban on their funding from abroad.

The religious scholars met on Sunday to to mark the chehlum of Dr Sarfraz Naeemi.

"Surprise raids should be conducted on all seminaries, whether large or small, being run by all schools of thought (to recover arms stockpiled there and to arrest terrorists hiding there)," said a resolution adopted at the gathering.

It also called for a probe into foreign funding of seminaries and a law to ban direct financing, the Dawn reported.

Through another resolution, the scholars called for an effective ban on leaders and workers of proscribed outfits from working under the cover of new names and banners. They also demanded cancellation of declarations of papers and journals published by such groups.

They demanded an end to US drone attacks in Pakistan and withdrawal of all foreign troops from Afghanistan and Iraq, and called for a reduction in power tariff and price of oil. (ANI)