Islamabad, Jan 14 (IANS): Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has directed Interior Minister Shaikh Rashid Ahmad to ensure that madrasa students do not attend any rallies staged by the PDM opposition alliance in the future, the media reported on Thursday.

According to a report by The News International, Rashid has been directed to sit with religious scholars and explain to them the government's stand.

"The prime Minister has expressed indignation over gaining the political ends while using religion as cover, and has thus tasked Ahmad who has been given the portfolio of federal minister for interior to make sure students of religious seminaries are kept away from joining political protests staged by the PDM," the report said.

"The government has thus reportedly decided to gain the confidence of religious scholars by sitting with them and expanding on the policies the government has designed," it added.

On Sunday, Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood slammed PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman for using madrasa students to fill up the alliance's "failed rallies", saying the move is "condemnable".