In a significant development, the Ittehad Arrangan Madrasas Deeniya (ITMD) – a federation of central supervisory bodies of madrasas – has said that objections raised to the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024 will be ineffective after the expiry of the prescribed period. Done.
Addressing a press conference after the ITMD Supreme Council meeting on Monday, the ITMD top leadership demanded the government to issue a gazette notification for the Madrasa Bill.
The controversy erupted two days ago when President Asif Ali Zardari expressed fears that if the Madrasa Bill becomes law, madrasas will be registered under the Societies Act, leading to the implementation of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). may be Preferences Plus (GSP+), and other restrictions on the country.
The controversial 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. Its enactment was part of an agreement between the government and a religious-political party to support the 26th Amendment.
After approval by parliament, the bill now needs the president’s assent to become law, but President Asif Ali Zardari earlier this month withdrew the bill citing legal objections. According to the constitution, after the President refuses to sign the bill, it must be presented before the joint session.
Parliamentary sources said that to fulfill this condition, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif has sent an advice to President Asif Ali Zardari to call a joint session of Parliament on December 17. Geo News.
In a packed press earlier today, Mufti Muneebur Rehman noted that the bill was sent to the Presidency on the same day it was approved. He noted that the President pointed out an error in it on October 28, 2024, which the Speaker National Assembly called a “typo”. He further said that after making corrections, the Speaker again presented the bill to the President on which he raised further objections.
Munib said that Madrasa Bill has become law. He explained, “The bill has become legal because the President did not raise any objections to it within ten days. The objections raised by the President were ineffective.”
He demanded the government to immediately issue a gazette notification as per the law.
Mufti Muneeb asserted that the first objection was raised by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, who confirmed that the Madrasa Bill has now become an Act.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman remarked that the bill is not controversial as it has been passed by the parliament. He reiterated that the Supreme Council believed that the government should ratify its resolution.
If it is decided otherwise, the ITMD will meet again, Mufti Munib said, issuing a subtle warning: “No one will benefit from escalating the situation. Our aim is to convey a positive and constructive message.”
Fazal noted that the government had initially proposed a draft of the bill and the JUI-F revised it during the debate for the 26th amendment.
“The draft bill came first from the government, we accepted it, we brought it back to the table for discussion on the occasion of the 26th amendment,” Fazal noted.
“It was the government that made the changes in the draft bill, for us there is no controversy over the bill now,” he asserted.
After the approval of the bill, the government ministers congratulated us, Fazal said that now after a month and a half, they have many objections.
In eight objections, President Zardari highlighted potential conflicts of interest arising from the registration process and raised concerns about potential negative consequences for Pakistan’s international standing and internal stability.
According to the objections, the registration of religious madrasas under the law will spread communalism and the establishment of many madrasas in the same society will worsen the law and order situation.
Bill
The much-discussed legislation is an amended version of the Societies Registration Act, 1860, which calls for the registration of madrasas (Islamic seminaries) that exist “within six months” of its enactment.
It also states that a religious seminary established after the commencement of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024 shall be registered within one year of its establishment.
A seminary having more than one campus will require only one registration.
Thereafter, every seminary will be obliged to submit an annual report of its educational activities and an audit report to the registrar.
Under the law, a religious seminary is defined as a religious institution established or operated primarily for the purpose of imparting religious education, which provides accommodation and lodging facilities.