Pakistan: JUI-F warns of protests over delay in Madrassa Registration Bill

Karachi [Pakistan], December 15 : The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Punjab has urged its supporters and workers to prepare for protests as the party accused the government of taking back its commitments regarding the 26th Amendment.
This comes amid increasing tensions over the delay in the controversial madrassa registration bill, the news international reported.
"We believe in reconciliation, but the government is pushing us towards putting up resistance," a JUI-F Punjab spokesperson said.
The statement from the religio-political party was issued shortly after President Asif Ali Zardari raised concerns that if the madrassa bill becomes law, seminaries could be registered under the Societies Act, potentially resulting in the imposition of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) measures, Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), and other sanctions on the country.
Earlier today, a spokesperson for the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party alleged that the delay in the legislation was intentional, aimed at pleasing "international powers."
Speaking at an event at Madrassa Jamia Usmania in Nowshera, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on December 7, the party's leader set December 8 as the deadline for the government to pass the seminary registration bill.
However, just hours before the deadline was set to expire, Fazl reconsidered his decision and pushed the deadline to December 17 in an effort to increase pressure on the government, the news international reported.
The controversial madrassa bill, which has already been approved by both houses of parliament, has become a point of conflict between the religio-political party and the government. Fazl stated that its enactment was part of an agreement between the two parties in exchange for support of the 26th Amendment.
According to the report earlier this month, President Zardari sent back the 'Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024,' with sources revealing on December 13 that he raised eight objections to the bill, which would mandate the registration of madrassas.
Among other concerns, he pointed out the possible conflict of interest arising from the registration process and voiced worries about its negative impact on Pakistan's international reputation and internal stability. According to the president's objections, registering religious seminaries under the law could fuel sectarianism, and the proliferation of seminaries within the same community could worsen the law and order situation.
The highly debated legislation is an amended version of the Societies Registration Act of 1860, which mandates the registration of madrassas (Islamic seminaries) within "six months" of its enactment. It also specifies that any Deeni Madrassa established after the introduction of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024, must register "within one year of its establishment."
A madrassa with multiple campuses would only require a single registration. Additionally, each madrassa would be obligated to submit an annual report detailing its educational activities and an audit report to a registrar. The law defines a Deeni Madrassa as a religious institution primarily established or operated to provide religious education, which also offers boarding and lodging facilities.