ISLAMABAD:
The federal cabinet on Friday approved amendments to the Societies Registration Act, 1860, deciding that the law will first be passed as is and then the president will issue an ordinance amending the law, allowing madrassas to register either under the registration of societies or under the Ministry of Education. .
The cabinet approved amendments to the madrassa 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 Companies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024. Once published in the gazette, the president would issue an ordinance to amend Section 21 of the law .
JUI-F senator Kamran Murtaza told The Express PAkGazette that the matter had been resolved between the government and the JUI-F. His party insisted that the bill passed by Parliament should become law as 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 General Directorate of Religious Education and the Ministry of Education.
Now, Murtaza said, the president is expected to sign the 2024 law and subsequently issue an ordinance amending Section 21 (Registration of Deeni Madaris).
This, he maintained, would allow madrasas to decide whether to register with the registry of societies or the directorate of education, adding that “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 parties to support the 26th Amendment, but was brought back at the last moment by the president.
The president returned the bill unsigned, citing legal objections that the JUI-F refused to accept and forced the government to fulfill its commitment without any ifs or buts.
When JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his displeasure and threatened to march on the capital, Chief Minister Shehbaz invited him to the Prime Minister’s House to amicably resolve the dispute.
Following the meeting between the two, the Maulana said that Prime Minister Shehbaz had given a very positive response to his stance and had directed the Ministry of Justice to take immediate action in the light of the Constitution and the law.
A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office also stated that positive progress has been made on Maulana’s proposals on the issue of seminary registration, directing the Law Ministry to take steps to resolve the issue.
Subsequently, the Ministry of Justice prepared the project, which was approved on Friday by the federal Cabinet. Upon the president’s signature, it will become law, but will only be amended again by ordinance to satisfy all parties affected by the development.
Meanwhile, the federal cabinet approved amendments to the Income Tax Ordinance 2024 in relation to banking companies on the recommendation of the Revenue Division.
The federal cabinet also approved policy guidelines for carbon market trading on the recommendation of the Ministry of Climate Change and Climate Coordination.
The federal cabinet further approved delegation of additional powers of the Insurance Court to all district and session judges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on the order of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) and on the recommendation of the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice.
