Pakistan says it has taken control of 182 religious schools in crackdown on terrorists

PTI | Updated: Mar 7, 2019, 16:09 IST

PTI

HIGHLIGHTS

• Pakistan's interior ministry said it was part of a long-planned drive, not a response to Indian anger over Islamabad's failure to rein in on terror groups
• The ministry stated that provincial governments have "taken in their control management and administration of 182 seminaries (madaris)"

ISLAMABAD: 

Pakistan

 intensified its crackdown against Islamist militants on Thursday, with the government announcing it had taken control of 182 religious schools and detained more than 100 people as part of its push against banned groups.

The interior ministry said it was part of a long-planned drive, not a response to Indian anger over what New Delhi calls 

Islamabad

's failure to rein in terrorist groups operating on Pakistani soil.

Pakistan is facing pressure from global powers to act against groups carrying out attacks in India, including Jaish-e-Muhammed (JeM), which claimed responsibility for the February 14 attack that killed at least 40 Indian paramilitary police.

Provincial governments have "taken in their control management and administration of 182 seminaries (madaris)", Pakistan's interior ministry said in a statement, referring to religious schools.

"Law enforcement agencies have taken 121 people under preventive detention as of today," the ministry added.