The federal government has shown “agreement to notify the contentious madrassa registration bill via a gazette in a few days”, making a significant development a day after a key meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
In a major breakthrough, the federal government “accepted all demands of the Ittehad Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Deenia (ITMD)” regarding the disputed legislation related to seminaries’ registration in the country.
The development came during the meeting between PM Shehbaz and a Fazl-led delegation a day ago, sources closer to the JUI-F told Geo News, adding that the government “assured to register all madrassas under Societies Registration Act, 1860”.
The government “is expected to issue a gazette notification of the draft [legislation] passed in light of the 26th Constitutional Amendment in a few days”, the sources added.
Subsequently, the Shehbaz’s administration also decided to take other clerics in confidence over the legislation who were willing to register seminaries with the education ministry.
After meeting the premier yesterday, the cleric had expressed optimism about the approval of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 as PM Shehbaz ordered the authorities concerned to resolve the matter swiftly.
The meeting was attended by National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, PM’s aide Rana Sanaullah and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan.
Meanwhile, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Senator Kamran Murtaza, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira were also present on the occasion.
The disputed madrassa bill, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, has become a bone of contention between the JUI-F and the government.
The new bill amends the existing procedure for registration of madrassas with the education ministry, stating that the institutions should be affiliated with the industries ministry instead.
Its enactment was part of an agreement between the government and the religio-political party for supporting the 26th Amendment, Fazl had said previously.
Following its approval from parliament, the bill now requires the president’s assent to become law but President Asif Ali Zardari had returned the bill earlier this month, citing legal objections. According to the Constitution, the bill must be tabled before a joint sitting after the president refuses to sign.
As per the sources, the president raised eight objections over the bill Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024, under which madrassas would be registered.
President Zardari expressed fear that if the madrassa bill turns into a law, seminaries will be registered under the Societies Act, which may lead to imposition of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), and other sanctions on the country.
He objected that by registering madrassas as societies, they could be used for purposes other than education; there was a contradiction in the definition of madrassa in various clauses of the bill.
The president suggested to the members of the assembly that international issues should be taken into account while drafting a bill related to madrassas.
