English language is a symbolic capital and an asset in linguistic market. Its contribution in the determination of professional career is considerable. At national level, it can divide or unite a nation. At global level, it has become lingua franca for most of the political, economic, social interactions and working language of international organizations. In Pakistan, it enjoys wide recognition and is a principal means of communication and business. It is also viewed as the language of opportunities. The government takes necessary measures to facilitate its learning in educational institutions yet madrassas lag behind in its implementation contrary to the needs of the professional job market. The purpose of this study was to investigate the teaching situation in madrassas; to probe English language attitudes of madrassa students and teachers; and to look into the possibilities of related reforms in the curriculum. Based on 42 qualitative in-depth interviews conducted in six purposively selected madrassas in the three districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the findings revealed positive attitudes and willingness to accept the language as part of the curriculum. It was also revealed that the language was not active part of the curriculum owing to the lack of financial resources for provision of books and trained teachers. The study further revealed that the government did not give proper attention to curricular reforms in madrassas. Along with discriminatory attitude of the government, the dominance of conservative anti-western religious elite and the narrow worldview of madrassa authorities alongside poverty and ignorance also contributed to the situation. As part of policy measures, the findings revealed the need for confidence building measures to bridge the gulf between the state’s authorities and religious scholars; attention to the academic requirements of madrassa students; funding for meeting their immediate needs; executive measures to identify, isolate and then target the selected few religious institutions that spread sectarianism and hatred. Further, the government needed to appreciate the socio-educational role of madrassas, to treat them at par with other educational institutions and to enter into a dialogue with reputed scholars at national level for mainstreaming religious education through English language reforms that would provide a fair chance to the graduates in the job market and thus would be a good step forward in bringing madrassas into the mainstream education system.