Daily Times

Shehbaz-Sharif-copyIn a major breakthrough a day after a key meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the federal government has “accepted all demands of the Ittehad Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Deenia (ITMD)” regarding the contentious madrassa registration bill.

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, 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.