JUI-F gives deadline for passing Madrasah Registration Bill

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has given the government a deadline of December 8 to pass the Madrasah Registration Bill, ARY News reported on Friday.

In a statement, JUI-F leader Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri said that the government must approve the bill concerning religious seminaries by December 8.

He warned that if the bill is not passed by December 8, they would be forced to march towards Islamabad.

“We are religious people and do not wish to take such a step, but the country cannot bear this delay,” Haidri said.

The JUI-F leader also accused the delay in passing the bill of being a deliberate attempt to obstruct the process, labeling it as “malicious intent.”

Haidri assured that there would be a resolution to the issue, as Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had assured him that he would speak with the president to ensure the bill’s approval.

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Responding to a question regarding the potential change in the PM House, Haidri stated that they did not acknowledge the current elections and questioned how the government could take a U-turn after such a shift.

He clarified that the bill is not just supported by JUI-F and Wafaqul Madaris, but is endorsed by all religious seminary organizations.

Earlier it was reported that President Asif Ali Zardari has returned the Madrasah Registration Bill to the Prime Minister’s Office, citing legal objections. According to Express News, the bill, which aimed to regulate and register religious schools (madrasahs), has faced significant hurdles in the legal review process.

Sources reveal that the president raised concerns over the bill’s legal validity, particularly its lack of clarity regarding the jurisdiction of madrasah registration.

The bill had been pushed through by the government, following assurances made to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a key ally.