Proposed amendments to contentious bill expected to be tabled following president\u2019s objections, say sources
\n Islamabad
\nAmid ongoing consultation between the coalition government and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) over the contentious madrassa registration bill, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent a advice to President Asif Ali Zardari for holding a joint session of parliament on December 17, parliamentary sources told media.
\nThe premier has advised the president to summon a joint session of parliament on Tuesday at 11am, the sources said, adding that eight bills including the contentious madrassa registration bill are likely to be tabled.
\nThey also added that a consultation process was underway between the government and the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party on a new bill after President Zardari had \u201craised eight objections\u201d over the previous legislation \u2014 Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024.
\nThe disputed madrassa bill, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, has become a bone of contention between the JUI-F and the government. Its enactment was part of an agreement between the government and the religio-political party for supporting the 26th Amendment.
\nFollowing its approval from parliament, the bill now requires the president\u2019s assent to become law but President Asif Ali Zardari had returned the bill earlier this month, citing legal objections. According to the Constitution, the bill must be tabled before a joint sitting after the president refuses to sign.
\nReacting to objections to the legislation on Saturday, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah alleged that the government\u2019s \u201cprime objective is handing over seminaries to FATF [Financial Action Task Force] at the behest of the global anti-money laundering watchdog\u201d.
\n\u201cIt has also proved that this is not the parliament of Pakistan but FATF\u2019s,\u201d the JUI-F leader said. He went on to say that the country\u2019s \u201cparliament is not independent to legislate [laws]\u201d.
\nHe said that objections would not have been raised at the seminaries registration bill had the legal experts at the President\u2019s House read the legislation.
\nSpeaking to the media in Karachi earlier today, Federal Education Minister Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said that 10 out of 15 seminaries\u2019 boards had raised objections to the bill which led the federal government to review it.
\nHe added that the government was working to give a legal shape to the combative Societies Act.
\nMeanwhile, the president has also expressed fear that if the madrassa bill turns into a law, then it may lead to imposition of FATF, Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), and other sanctions on the country, reported media on Saturday.
\nAccording to the objections, raised by the president, the registration of religious seminaries under the law would lead to spread of sectarianism and establishment of many seminaries in the same society that may disturb the law and order situation.
\nThe president objected to the contradiction in the definition of madrassa in various provisions of the new bill.
\nReferring to the Madrassa Education Board Ordinance 2001 and the Islamabad Capital Territory Trust Act 2020, he said that the new legislation could not be enacted in the presence of both acts.
\nThe registration of madrassas in the society would lead to a conflict of interest and such a conflict of interest would draw international criticism, while the approval of the bill could lead to a change in the FATF and other international organisations\u2019 opinions and ratings of Pakistan, the objection by the president said.
\nThe president suggested to the members of the assembly that international issues should be taken into account while drafting a bill related to madrassas.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Proposed amendments to contentious bill expected to be tabled following president\u2019s objections, say sources Islamabad Amid ongoing consultation between the coalition government and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) over the contentious madrassa registration bill, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent a advice to President Asif Ali Zardari for holding a joint session of parliament on December […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":449408,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-449388","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news"},"yoast_head":"\n