LAHORE, July 31: President of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has said that foreign students enrolled at various madressahs having no-objection certificates of their countries will not be sent back.
Talking to reporters at his residence on Sunday, he said such students would be allowed to complete their studies in Pakistan.
President Musharraf had asked all foreign students — estimated at 1,400 — studying in madressahs to leave Pakistan.
Chaudhry Shujaat said he would take up the matter with the president and the prime minister to get it resolved.
He said madressahs should register with the government in their own interest.
Answering a question, he said no foreign student of any madressah had been given military training.
He told a questioner that PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto could come to Pakistan at the time of her own choice. However, he said, the Sharifs were living in exile as a result of an agreement under which they had left the country.
At the expiration of the agreement period, the PML leader said, the Sharifs would be free to return to Pakistan. He said passport would not be an important issue at that time.
Replying to another question, the former prime minister said the government could produce the exile agreement reached with the Sharifs if the Supreme Court asked it to do so.
NO SOLUTION: Chaudhry Shujaat said expelling foreign students was no solution to the problem. He said President Pervez Musharraf’s statement pertaining to madressahs was misinterpreted and added that he would meet the president in this regard, adds PPI.
The PML chief said foreign students had taken admissions to madressahs here because of their high quality inexpensive education. These students came from African states and other poor countries, he added. In reply to a question regarding talks with the opposition, Mr Shujaat said he was ready to meet anyone in the greater interest of the country.
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