Public education infrastructure

There is little if any public education infrastructure in many rural areas of Pakistan. With poverty widespread in these areas, people have little choice but to send their children to traditional madrassas that provide extra benefits of shelter and food along with the basic religious education. Extremists have exploited this poverty, lack of public education facilities, and the strong public demand for religious education to their advantage. They have used these unregulated madrassas to propagate their own brand of religion and further their agendas. As they have gained influence and power in these areas, they have started using religion as an argument against modern education. Religion is a powerful tool especially for a predominantly illiterate populace and these arguments, which can now even be heard on local television channels, have started to gain traction with the public.