Peace Returns To Poonch, But Madrassa Zia-ul-Uloom Grieves Qari Muhammad Iqbal's Death In Pakistan Shelling
The scars of May 7 continue to haunt the students and teachers who lost a mentor and moral support due to Pakistan's shelling.
By ETV Bharat Jammu & Kashmir Team
Published : May 21, 2025 at 1:23 PM IST
By Amir Tantray
Jammu: The gates of Islamic seminary Zia-ul-Uloom in Poonch reopened with a buzz of morning recitations and the chatter of students, but the sight and voice of its senior-most teacher, Qari Muhammad Iqbal, were missing.
As normalcy returns to the border town, the scars of May 7 continue to haunt the students and teachers who lost not just a mentor but also moral support due to Pakistan's shelling.
On Monday, the madrassa opened alongside other educational institutions, and most of the students turned up, but they were all in deep pain with whatever they had seen unfolding on the morning of May 7 when shells from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) landed on their madrassa.
Qari Iqbal was killed, whereas three other students received injuries, two of whom have recovered completely and returned to the institution, and one is still recovering from the injury at home. The fear among the inhabitants of one of the biggest institutions of Poonch is visible, and teachers had to put concentrated efforts into counselling the students.
“These students haven’t seen such a thing in their little lives, and the terror they faced on May 7 has affected their mental health. They got frightened by the loud sounds of shells raining from the sky, and it still reverberates in their ears,” Maulana Sayeed Ahmed Habibi, the deputy in charge of affairs of Madrassa Zia-ul-Uloom Poonch, told ETV Bharat.
This madrassa has two separate branches for boys and girls, and more than 1000 students receive Quranic education free of cost, including hostel and eating facilities. These students come from different parts of Poonch district, and a few from neighbouring Rajouri district also attend the madrassa to learn the Quran. This institution runs on the charity provided by the people of the area, and not a single penny is charged from the students.
For the last 21-22 years, Qari Iqbal was a name synonymous with this institution, and his death has brought deep pain to the entire region.
“He was the most respected, honest and upright teacher who has given his prime life to this institution and has earned a lot of respect, not only among the students but also among the general public. His absence is being felt all around, and the kind of attachment he had with students is being missed one and all,” Habibi added.
He informed us that even though normalcy has returned in the area, the fear of hostilities returning to this border town always remains.
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