The federal cabinet approved on Friday amendments in the Societies Registration Act of 1860, deciding that the act will first be passed as it is and then the president will issue an ordinance amending the act, allowing madrassas to register themselves either under societies registration or education ministry.
The cabinet approved amendments to the madrassas' registration process based on recommendations from the Ministry of Law and Justice, resolving a dispute between the PML-N government and the opposition party JUI-F over a bill recently passed by Parliament but returned by President Asif Ali Zardari.
During a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it was decided that the president would first sign the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024. Once published in the gazette, the president would issue an ordinance to amend Section 21 of the act.
JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza told The Express Tribune that the matter had been settled between the government and JUI-F. His party insisted the bill passed by Parliament should become an act as it is, opposing proposals to register religious institutions under the Ministry of Education.
Murtaza explained that others had urged the government to allow madrassas to register or remain registered under the Directorate General of Religious Education and the Ministry of Education.
Now, Murtaza said, the president is expected to sign the 2024 act and subsequently issue an ordinance amending Section 21 (Registration of Deeni Madaris).
This, he maintained, would enable madrassas to decide whether to register under societies registration or the education directorate, adding, "the differences between the government and his party regarding the madrassa registration bill have been resolved."
The madrasa bill had become a bone of contention between the government and JUI-F as it was enacted as part of an agreement between the two sides for supporting the 26th Amendment but was returned at the last moment by the president.
The president had returned the bill unsigned, citing legal objections that the JUI-F refused to accept and forced the government side to fulfil its commitment without any ifs and buts.
As JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his displeasure and threatened to march on the capital, PM Shehbaz invited him to PM House to amicably settle the dispute.
Following the meeting between the two, the Maulana had said that PM Shehbaz had given a very positive response to his stance and directed the law ministry to take immediate action in light of the Constitution and law.
A statement from the PM Office had also stated that positive progress has been made on Maulana's proposals on the issue of registration of seminaries, directing the law ministry to take steps to resolve the issue.
Subsequently, the law ministry prepared the draft, which was approved by the federal cabinet on Friday. Following the president's signature, it will become an act but only to be amended again through an ordinance to satisfy all the parties affected by the development.
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet approved amendments to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2024, regarding banking companies on the recommendation of the Revenue Division.
The federal cabinet also approved policy guidelines for trading in the carbon market on the recommendation of the Ministry of Climate Change and Climate Coordination.
The federal cabinet further approved the delegation of additional powers of the Insurance Tribunal to all district and sessions judges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the orders of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ