Govt, JUI-F reach ‘agreement’ on madrasa bill, Fazl optimistic about good news 

ISLAMABAD: The government and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl-Fazl (JUI-F) have finally reached an ‘agreement’ on the contentious Madrasa Registration Bill, and a notification could be issued in the days to come.

The breakthrough came during a meeting between JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Prime Minister’s House.

Read More: Govt, JUI-F reach ‘agreement’ on madrasa bill, Fazl optimistic about good news

JUI-F leaders Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, Senator Kamran Murtaza and Maulana Asad Mehmood were also present. National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Atta Tarar, PM’s adviser Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan People’s Party leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira, as well as Attorney General Mansoor Usman also attended the meeting.

According to the sources, the prime minister directed authorities concerned that the matter be resolved promptly, asking the Ministry of Law to proceed in line with constitutional and existing law. 

Talking to the media after the meeting, Maulana Fazl expressed optimism about the resolution of the issue.

“We held detailed discussions with the prime minister on the bill and urged the government to take a decisive move on the situation that has emerged. We are hopeful that our demands will be met, and good news will follow in a day or two,” he said. 

He said that objections raised by the president on the bill had already been addressed.

“After the speaker’s response and the lapse of the constitutional timeline, raising further objections is unwarranted. The bill concerning the registration of madaris has become an act, and its notification should now be issued,” he said. 

Earlier, Maulana Fazl said that the government was the biggest obstacle to the registration of madaris, and warned to take to the streets if any changes to the provisions of the “Madrasa Registration Bill” were made. 

Speaking in the National Assembly, he had expressed reservations about the House’s representation but acknowledged the parliamentary responsibilities shared by all members. “We are also part of this House,” he said. 

Earlier, President Asif Ali Zardari had warned potential global implications over a bill regarding the registration and regulation of madrassas under Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024.

President Zardari had refused to sign the bill — passed by both house of parliament in October — and returned it to the National Assembly speaker, highlighting several flaws and procedural errors, contradicting the existing laws.

The president had pointed out that the Pakistan Madrasah Education Board Ordinance 2001 and the Islamabad Capital Territory Trust Act 2020 already govern madrassa registration and introducing additional legal frameworks would create overlaps and inconsistencies.