Capital Police advise seminaries against allowing 'strangers' stay in mosques, madressahs.

ISLAMABAD -- The Islamabad police have said its Anti-Extremism Unit has 'completed contacts' with all seminaries regarding not allowing strangers to reside at or spend the night at mosques and madressahs.

In a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday night, it stated, 'There is no permission to stay in mosques. Strangers will not be allowed to stay at or spend the night in mosques and madressahs.'

It did not elaborate any further on what a 'stranger' is.

With regard to opening seminaries, the police said it had already issued directives on the matter. 'The permission of the authorised bodies is necessary to open an educational institution or madressah.'

The statement quoted the capital police and the district administration appreciating the ulema and administrators who abided by the law.

The move comes amid heightened terrorism in the country in recent months, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, after the banned militant Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan ended its ceasefire with the government in November last year.

A week ago, a suicide bomber ripped through a procession celebrating the birth of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) on 12 Rabiul Awwal in Mastung, claiming the lives of more than 50 people, including a police officer, religious leaders, and children.

No militant group has come forward to claim responsibility for the bombing, prompting claims from the government that the Indian intelligence agency, RAW, was involved.

The same day, at least five people were killed in twin bombings at a mosque inside a police station in KP's Hangu.

The next day, Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir had said that the terrorists and facilitators behind the attacks on 12th Rabiul Awwal were 'proxies of the enemies of Pakistan and its people'.

Earlier this month, data compiled by the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies said the number of militant attacks in August was the highest tally for monthly strikes in almost nine years.

The police directive also follows a...