Islamabad- Saudi Embassy has informed Riyadh, of Pakistan’s concerns about funding to Madrassas from Saudi Arabia.

Official sources in Saudi Embassy said that a letter summarizing the concerns about the funding to some of the Pakistani religious seminary was sent to the concerned authorities, in Saudi Arabia.

The acting ambassador doesn’t want to issue a policy statement in this connection as appointment of the new ambassador is awaited, the sources added. “And soon a policy statement would be shared with the media in this connection,” a diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

State Minister for Education Mian Muhammad Baligh ur Rehman told sources the other day that funding from Saudi Arabia, would flow to any institution through government of Pakistan. “Permission of the government would be mandatory,” he said.

The issue of financing of madrassas by Saudi Arabia was making rounds in the sessions of the parliament this week.

Recently, Federal Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) Riaz Hussain Pirzada severely criticized the Saudi funding to Madrassas in Pakistan, though latter, he amended his words.

A US diplomatic cable, published by WikiLeaks said financial support estimated at $100 million a year was making its way from those Gulf Arab states to an extremist recruitment network in Pakistan’s Punjab province.

So far the Saudi authorities, including their foreign ministry refuse to comment on the issue raised on basis WikiLeaks information and challenge authenticity of the cable.

Last month, on the advice of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, the interior ministry reportedly approached the Saudi Embassy in Islamabad for an urgent meeting, to discuss matters related to the funding of madrassahs/mosques by Saudi philanthropists.

Financing of religious institution by the philanthropists from the oil-rich country like Saudi Arabia is an open secret since long. But the issue gained attention in wake of the series of terrorism in the country.