The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has prepared a bill to register madrasas in the provinces following the promulgation of the Companies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024 by the President last month. The religio-political party has stepped up efforts to pass legislation to register Islamic schools in the provinces after the federal government announced last month that the madrassa registration bill had passed both houses of parliament. The proposed law will be called the Companies Registration Act 2025 to pave the way for the registration of unregistered seminars within six months in the provinces; however, madrassas that have already been registered with the center would not have to apply for registration again. The bill stated that unregistered Islamic schools would register with a directorate under the Ministry of Education, while seminaries with more than one campus would require a single registration. Under the bill proposed by the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party, seminaries would submit their audit reports and copies to the registrar. It also sought to curb literature containing content that promotes militancy, sectarianism and religious hatred in madrassas. Subsequently, each seminar would gradually incorporate new subjects into its curriculum. The development came after the JUI-F chief spoke to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the phone earlier this month, seeking his role in resolving the issue of seminary registration in the provinces. Fazl informed the prime minister that to create a law on the registration of religious seminaries, legislation in the provincial assemblies is also needed. In response, Shehbaz promised to speak to the chief ministers about the matter. The cleric wanted the provincial governments to follow the pattern of the federal government, which had now become law by gazette notification. The President also issued an order regarding amendments to the Companies Registration Act, 2024, which was approved by the Federal Cabinet after the government and JUI-F resolved their differences. The madrassa bill became a bone of contention between the JUI-F and the government after President Zardari returned it citing legal objections. Its enactment was part of an agreement between the government and a religio-political party to support the 26th Amendment, Fazl said earlier. The legislation amended the previous procedure for registering madrasas with the Ministry of Education.
