Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has expressed hope that his party’s demand for enacting the madressah registration bill would be approved after meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.

“A positive response was given to our position during the meeting,” he told reporters after a delegation led by him met the premier in the federal capital on Friday. The two sides discussed issue of madrasah registration.

The Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024 extends the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and includes provisions for the registration of ‘Deeni Madaris’ under the relevant deputy commissioner office.

The act focuses on the registration of seminaries through the relevant deputy commissioner’s office, reverting to practices established before 2019.

The bill specifies that a madressah with more than one campus needs only one registration, and every madressah must submit an annual report of its educational activities to the registrar. Moreover, each madressah must have its accounts audited by an auditor and submit the audit report to the registrar.

Last week, President Zardari expressed concerns about potential negative consequences for Pakistan’s international standing and internal stability if the bill turned into a law. Earlier, he did not sign the bill and raised objections to it.

On December 17, the Ittehad Tanzeemat-i-Madaris Pakistan, a coalition of the country’s major madressah oversight bodies, demanded that the government issue a gazette notification for the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act 2024.

“The prime minister has instructed the law ministry to take immediate action in accordance with the law and the Constitution,” Fazl said, “there may no longer be a need to convene a joint session of Parliament.” The JUI-F chief expressed hope that their demands would be accepted.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar, Adviser to the PM on Political Affairs Rana Sanaullah, and Attorney General for Pakistan Mansoor Usman Anwar were also present in the meeting. Fazl was accompanied by Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri and Senator Kamran Murtaza. PPP leaders Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Qamar Zaman Kaira were also present.

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The religio-political leader reiterated that the bill had already become an Act. He noted that the National Assembly speaker had responded to the president’s objections in accordance with the Constitution and there had been “no reaction” from the president regarding the response.

According to him, the president’s second objection “was not constitutionally valid” as it was sent after the constitutional deadline had passed. He mentioned that the president’s objection had not yet reached the speaker’s office.

“We hope that the matter will be resolved by the Constitution and law,” he added.