“Hopefully, practical steps in accordance with Constitution will be taken as per our demands,” says JUI-F chief
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief on Friday hoped to hear “good news” soon and their demands would be met after his “positive meeting” with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on the controversial Madrasas Registration Bill. be accepted.
“Hopefully, practical steps in accordance with the constitution will be taken as per our demands,” the religio-political leader said while talking to reporters in Islamabad.
The meeting came a day after the prime minister contacted the JUI-F over the madrasa registration bill issue and invited it for a meeting. Speaker National Assembly Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Assistant Prime Minister Rana Sanaullah and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan attended the meeting.
Meanwhile, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Senator Kamran Murtaza, Raja Pervez Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira were also present on the occasion.
The controversial madrassa bill, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, has become a bone of contention between the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) and the government. Its enactment was part of an agreement between the government and a religio-political party to support the 26th Amendment, Fazl said earlier.
After being approved by parliament, the bill now requires the assent of the president to become law, but President Asif Ali Zardari returned the bill this month, citing legal objections. According to the constitution, a bill must be introduced before a joint session after the president refuses to sign it.
In Art. 75 par. 2 of the Constitution of Pakistan states: “When the President returns a bill to the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), it shall be re-considered by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in joint session, and if it is again passed, with or without amendments, the Majlis -e-Shoora (Parliament), the votes of the majority of the present and voting members of both Houses shall be deemed for the purposes of the Constitution to have been approved by both Houses and shall be submitted to the President and the President gives its consent within ten days, otherwise this consent is deemed to have been granted.
The new bill changes the existing process of registering madrasas with the Ministry of Education and states that the institutions should be affiliated to the Ministry of Industry instead.
In today’s meeting, the Prime Minister directed the Ministry of Law and Justice to take steps to quickly resolve the issue in accordance with the Constitution and the law.
Speaking to reporters, Fazl said he reiterated his stand on the Madrasah Registration Bill issue. “We have made it clear that the bill has been passed by both chambers – the National Assembly and the Senate – and has become law.”
He noted that the speaker was addressing an objection to the bill raised by President Asif Ali Zardari. “However, Mr. President’s second objection is not constitutionally valid,” he said, adding that the president did not respond to the spokesperson’s answer.
Fazl argued that the second objection was sent after the constitutional deadline.
Giving details of the meeting, the politician said they had received a “very positive response” to his stance. “[The prime minister] spoke with good intentions,” he said, hoping the matter would be resolved soon.
“Perhaps there is no need for a joint session of parliament on this issue,” the JUI-F chief replied to a question.
Objections by President Zardari
According to sources, the President raised eight objections to the Companies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024, which would have registered madrassas.
President Zardari has expressed concern that if the Madrasa Bill becomes law, the seminaries will be registered under the Companies Act, which may lead to the imposition of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Generalized System of Preferences Plus (GSP+) and other sanctions against the country.
He highlighted the potential conflict of interest arising from the registration process and expressed concern about possible negative consequences for Pakistan’s international standing and internal stability.
According to objections, registration of religious seminaries under the law would lead to the spread of sectarianism and the establishment of many seminaries in the same society would lead to deterioration of the law and order situation. The President objected that there is a contradiction in the definition of madrasa in various provisions of the new bill.
He argued that by registering madrasas as companies, they could be used for purposes other than education; there was a discrepancy in the definition of madrasa in various provisions of the law.
The registration of madrasas in society would lead to a conflict of interest and such a conflict of interest would also lead to international criticism, while the approval of the bill could lead to a change of opinion and assessment of the FATF and other international organizations. Pakistan, the president said in an objection.
The President suggested to the members of the assembly that international issues should be taken into account when preparing the draft law on madrasas.
