The United Kingdom has offered significant support to modernize Pakistan’s religious seminaries, proposing technical education, exchange programs, and scholarships for madrassa graduates in a high-level meeting aimed at bolstering cooperation against extremism.
The major diplomatic initiative was presented by British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, during a discussion with Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf in Islamabad on Friday.
High Commissioner Marriott suggested that both nations could benefit from sharing experiences in promoting interfaith understanding. She formally proposed UK support for introducing modern technical and vocational education in Pakistan’s madaris, with opportunities for graduates to acquire advanced skills and training in the UK.
Minister Yousaf welcomed the proposition, stating that providing modern, skill-based education to students in the more than 18,000 registered madrassas across the nation is a national priority. He added that students from these seminaries are already receiving training in modern disciplines under the Prime Minister’s Youth Program to enhance their contribution to national development.
During the dialogue, the minister also expressed deep concern over the situation in India, describing the increasing persecution of Muslims and other minorities under state patronage as alarming.
Contrasting the regional situation, Sardar Muhammad Yousaf highlighted Pakistan’s commitment to its non-Muslim populations. ‘In Pakistan, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, and followers of other faiths are an integral part of our social fabric,’ he affirmed, noting that the government has taken wide-ranging measures to promote interfaith harmony.
The British envoy noted that the UK is home to a diverse population, including two million Muslims and 1.7 million Hindus, underscoring the shared value of peaceful coexistence.
Both officials concluded by agreeing to enhance collaboration between Pakistan and the United Kingdom to combat extremism and foster interfaith harmony through education, dialogue, and people-to-people exchanges.