The controversy surrounding the Companies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024 came to an end on Sunday when President Asif Ali Zardari signed it into law.
Controversy persisted in the country related to the new law passed by parliament relating to regulatory affairs of madresahs. The law referred to the registration of seminaries by the relevant deputy commissioner’s office, as it was before 2019.
On December 20, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, after alleging that the government was deliberately delaying the passage of the bill, claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had ordered the Law Ministry to take immediate practical measures according to the law and the Constitution regarding the Law.
Two days earlier, the government and the JUI-F appeared to be in favor of talks at a session of the National Assembly to resolve the controversy over the proposed legislation.
Earlier this month, Zardari had warned parliamentarians to consider international obligations before altering existing procedures for registering religious seminaries.
The proposed legislation, commonly known as the Madrasah Registration Bill, was returned to Zardari with objections, even though it was passed by parliament at the time of the passage of the 26th Amendment.
A notification signed today by President Zardari, a copy of which is available with dawn.comsaid: “The Prime Minister’s advice in paragraph 6 of the summary is approved. The Companies Registration (Amendment) Ordinance, 2024 is signed and promulgated.”
A bulletin shared by National Assembly Secretary Tahir Hussain, a copy of which is also available with dawn.comHe said that madrassas founded before the act that have not been registered must do so within six months of the initiation of the act.
The bulletin added that the legislation received the President’s assent on December 27 to become an Act of Parliament.
Any madrasah established after the entry into force of the Act must be registered within one year.
According to the bulletin, madrassas must submit an annual report of their educational activities to the Registrar, as well as an audit report of their accounts carried out by an auditor.
“No [madressah] teach or publish any literature that teaches or promotes militancy or spreads sectarianism or religious hatred,” the gazette said.
Each madrassa shall, subject to its resources, include basic contemporary subjects in its curriculum according to a gradual programme, it went on to say.
“No [madressah] will be required to register in accordance with any other law in force at the time,” the bulletin adds.
On the other hand, JUI-F spokesperson Aslam Ghauri congratulated the country and stated that the struggle had “borne fruit” and added that his party will always play a role in protecting religious seminaries.
The party spokesman claimed that the seminaries were “the strength of Islam” and the guardians of the “ideological geography” of the country.
He said the unity of religious scholars was important for the protection of religious institutions, adding that the party would thwart “any conspiracy” against seminaries.
“We will not compromise the autonomy of the seminaries,” Ghauri said.
