Cabinet approves tweaks to madrassa registration bill after govt, JUI-F 'settled differences'

Apparently ending the controversy surrounding the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024, the federal cabinet on Friday approved amendments to madrassas registration act, backed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F). 

The development came two days after JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza said that all differences related to the madrassa registration bill between the government and his party have been resolved.

"A gazette notification of the madrasa registration act passed in light of the 26th Constitutional Amendment likely to be issued in next two days," the senator said while speaking to Geo News.

Murtaza added that he and Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar have finalised the draft of the legislation. "The matter will be completely resolved with the issuance of the notification."

The government, following the meeting between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, reportedly "accepted all demands of the Ittehad Tanzeemat-e-Madaris Deenia (ITMD)" regarding the contentious madrassa registration bill.

The disputed madrassa bill, which has already been passed by both houses of parliament, became a bone of contention between the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (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, Fazl had said previously.

Following its approval from parliament, the bill required the president’s assent to become law but President Asif Ali Zardari had returned the bill, citing legal objections. According to the Constitution, the bill must be tabled before a joint sitting after the president refuses to sign.

Article 75 (2) of the Constitution of Pakistan states: “When the President has returned a Bill to the Majlis-e Shoora (Parliament), it shall be reconsidered by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) in joint sitting and, if it is again passed, with or without amendment, by the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament), by the votes of the majority of the members of both Houses present and voting, it shall be deemed for the purposes of the Constitution to have been passed by both Houses and shall be presented to the President, and the President shall give his assent within ten days, failing which such assent shall be deemed to have been given.”

Meanwhile, the cabinet — in today's meeting — also gave a nod to the amendments in the Income Tax Ordinance 2024, related to the banking companies as recommended by the Revenue Division.

It also approved the policy guidelines for carbon market trading, on the recommendations of the Ministry of Climate Change and Environmental Coordination.

The cabinet okayed assigning the additional powers of insurance tribunals to all of the District and Session Judges of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, on the orders of the Peshawar High Court and the recommendation of the law ministry.