News Desk
Amid mounting tensions over the stalled contentious madrassa registration bill, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI-F) Punjab chapter has urged its supporters to get ready for protests against the government, accusing the Centre of reneging on promises regarding the 26th Amendment.
“We believe in reconciliation, but the government is pushing us towards putting up resistance,” a JUI-F Punjab spokesperson said.
The statement from the religio-political party comes hours after President Asif Ali Zardari expressed concerns that if the madrassa bill turns into a law, seminaries will be registered under the Societies Act, which may lead to the imposition of Financial Action Task Force (FATF), Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), and other sanctions on the country.
Earlier today, the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party’s spokesperson claimed that the legislation was being deliberately delayed to appease “international powers.”
Addressing an event at Madrassa Jamia Usmania in KP’s Nowshera on December 7, the party’s chief set December 8 as the deadline for the government to approve the seminary registration bill.
However, hours before the deadline expired, Fazl revisited his decision and extended the deadline to December 17 in a bid to pile up pressure on the government.
The disputed madrassa bill, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, has become a bone of contention between the religio-political party and the government. Its enactment was a part of an agreement between the two sides for supporting the 26th Amendment, said Fazl.
Earlier this month, President Zardari returned the ‘Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024’ as sources said on December 13 that the president raised eight objections to the bill under which madrassas would be registered.
