Open to talks with Fazl, says Asif

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Saturday called JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman a "brother", saying the issue of madrassa registration bill "could be discussed at any time" with the latter and that the government would listen to their concerns.

The bill in question was part of an agreement between JUI-F and the government to support the 26th Constitutional Amendment. The Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024 extends the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and introduces provisions for registering 'Deeni Madaris' with the relevant deputy commissioner's office. The bill has already been passed by the parliament.

Earlier, it was reported that President Asif Ali Zardari had returned the bill to the Prime Minister's Office, citing legal objections.

Though PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday assured Fazl that the president would sign the bill, credible legal sources told Express News that the president had already outlined his objections and sent the bill back to the Prime Minister's Office.

Legal sources explained that the president's objections were based on the constitutional division of powers between the federal and provincial governments.

The objections argue that madrassa registration falls under the purview of provincial education ministries, making it a provincial matter on which the federal government cannot legislate.

Furthermore, two laws already govern madrassa registration in Islamabad, and the bill does not clarify whether it would override them. Fazl warned the government of a potential long march on Islamabad if the bill is not approved.

The JUI-F is expected to present a detailed stance on the bill to the nation during a public gathering in Peshawar on Sunday (today).

Talking to a private TV channel, Khawaja Asif on Saturday, Khawaja Asif said Fazl was like a "brother" and that the issue of madrassa registraiton bill "could be discussed at any time". "[The government] will listen to whatever [the JUI-F] concerns are," the defence minister said.

Separately, Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain said the madrassa registration was a long-standing necessity, noting that giving it a legal form would take some time due to certain legal complexities.

Hussain said the intention was not to roll back the entire madrasah registration process, emphasizing that seminaries were educational institutions that fell under the education ministry.