Pakistan to make learning Quran mandatory in public schools

The Pakistani government is poised to make learning Quran compulsory in all public schools. Lawmakers in the country are talking to all parties involved in the matter, to implement the scheme.

The plan was revealed by Pakistan's Minister of State for Federal Education Muhammad Balighur Rehman at a public gathering in capital Islamabad. "This process would be initiated after consulting all the provinces through the platform of Inter-Provincial Education Minister's Conference (IPEMC)," the minister said while speaking at an educational institution.

Students in primary school will be taught what is known as Nazra Quran – verbal reading of the text – while those in secondary school will taught scriptures along with its translation.

The minister went on: "These children are our national asset so we should invest the best of our resources to make them better educated human beings."

"We should not just rely on the syllabus but also encourage our children to research and explore different subjects, fields, and ideas." The proposal is awaiting a final approval from the national assembly, following which it will come into force across all provinces.

In January, Pakistan's minister for religious affairs Sardar Muhammad Yusuf had announced there were plans in the pipeline to make learning the Quran mandatory in educational institutions.

Quran is the religious text of Islam and more than 90% of the country's population is Muslim. Islam is also Pakistan's state religion. While an overwhelming majority of Muslims adhere to Sunni Islam, there is a considerable population of Shia as well.