Daily Times

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman claimed on Friday that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has ordered the law ministry to take immediate practical measures as per the law and the Constitution regarding the Societies Registration (Amend­ment) Act 2024.

Controversy persists in the country related to the new law passed by parliament which relates to the regulatory affairs of madressahs. President Asif Ali Zardari has yet to grant it presidential assent, prompting the JUI-F to criticise ruling coalition parties for using ‘delaying tactics’ regarding the bill.

Fazl held a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad with other senior PML-N and PPP officials present as well.

Speaking to the media after the meeting, Fazl said his party’s stance on the issue was given a “very positive response”.

He claimed that the prime minister “immediately ordered the law ministry to take practical measures at once as per the law and the Constitution” regarding the issue.

“Now it remains to be seen when the practical measures [will be taken]. We hope that they will be as per our demands,” Fazl said, adding that he would apprise the Ittehad Tanzeemat-i-Madaris Pakistan, a federation of the main madressah oversight bodies in the country, about the situation.

“Hopefully we will hear good news about this in a day or two and our demand will be accepted.”

Fazl said PM Shehbaz displayed “good spirit” in the meeting that could be trusted, adding that he was hoping the matter would be resolved in line with the law and the Constitution after talks with the premier.

He maintained that the party’s demands were under the law and the Constitution and would be accepted.

A statement issued by state broadcaster PTV on X noted that there was “positive progress” on Fazl’s suggestions.

It said that PM Shehbaz ordered the quick resolution of the issues. “The Ministry of Law should take steps in accordance with the Constitution and law to resolve this issue,” the statement quoted him as saying.

President Zardari had returned the bill to the National Assembly with certain objections on October 29, before flying to the United Arab Emirates. The bill was approved by the Senate on Oct 20, along with the 26th amendment. It passed through the National Assembly on Oct 21 and was forwarded to the president on Oct 22.

When the JUI-F chief learnt of the development, he threatened to launch protests against the government to force it to accept the bill.

The bill in question was part of an agreement between JUI-F and the government in support of the 26th Amendment. The Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024 extends the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and includes provisions for the registration of madressahs under the relevant deputy commissioner office.

The bill specifies that a madressah with more than one campus needs only one registration, and every madressah must submit an annual report of its educational activities to the registrar. Additionally, each madressah must have its accounts audited by an auditor and submit the audit report to the registrar. The bill also states that no madressah should teach or publish literature that promotes militancy, sectarianism, or religious hatred.

In October 2019, the PTI-led government transferred the registration of seminaries to the education departments.

After more than five years of deliberations involving the government, interior ministry, security agencies, provinces and NGOs, the federal government accepted the demand of religious groups that seminaries be regulated under the education departments, viewing them as educational institutes.

Authorities had initially proposed that seminaries fall under the regulation of the Interior Ministry and provincial home departments. The decision by the PTI-led government in 2019 was welcomed by the joint body of religious seminaries, representing all four mainstream Islamic sects in the country. However, due to political differences with the PTI government, seminaries affiliated with the JUI-F rejected the idea of placing madressahs under the education department and opposed incorporating conventional education into religious seminaries.