The Directorate General of Religious Education (DGRE) was created by the Pakistani government with the aim of integrating religious seminaries into mainstream society. This initiative marked a significant effort to incorporate these seminaries into the broader educational system. In December 2019 then education minister Shafqat Mahmood officially launched the DGRE.^[1]

The DGRE was founded by the federal government, marking a historic first for the country. Its purpose is to assist seminaries in the registration process and serve as a center for their facilitation.^[2][3][4]

The government is working towards integrating religious seminaries into the mainstream educational framework. The objective is to transition from the existing three separate education systems—public schools, private schools, and Islamic religious schools—towards a unified curriculum. This initiative seeks to provide equal educational opportunities for all students and bridge the educational gap between religious and modern teachings.^[3]

The initial regional office of the DGRE was inaugurated in Lahore.^[5] The DGRE, headquartered in Islamabad, has subsequently expanded to encompass a total of 16 regional offices spread across the nation.^[5]

The DGRE successfully registered approximately 5,000 seminaries throughout Pakistan, utilizing its network of 16 regional offices for this purpose. This achievement was notable given the estimated 35,000 seminaries present in the country at that time.^[6][7]