On Sunday, President Asif Ali Zardari signed the Madrassa Registration Bill into law, resolving weeks of tension between the government and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F).
The National Assembly Secretariat issued a gazette notification confirming that seminaries will now be registered under the Societies Act. Alongside this, the president also issued an ordinance amending the Societies Registration Act 2024, applicable within Islamabad. Under this ordinance, madrassas can choose to register with either the Ministry of Education or the Ministry of Industries.
This resolution follows the federal cabinet’s approval of amendments to the Societies Registration Act 1860. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had earlier met with JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman and reportedly accepted all demands of the Ittehad Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Deenia (ITMD) concerning the bill.
The Madrassa Registration Bill, previously passed by both houses of parliament, was a contentious issue between JUI-F and the government. Its enactment was part of an agreement for JUI-F’s support of the 26th Amendment.
Initially, President Zardari had returned the bill due to legal concerns. However, it has now been signed into law, revising the registration process for madrassas and aligning them with the Ministry of Industries rather than the Ministry of Education.
