Zardari returns madrasa bill with objections

ISLAMABAD: The government is considering convening a joint sitting of both houses of parliament next week to revisit a bill to register religious educational institutions (madrasas) after the President’s House returned the draft to government, according to sources within the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

According to sources, the National Assembly session is likely to be convened by December 10, while a joint sitting of both houses of parliament may take place next week. The joint session aims to pass several bills, including the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024.

The bill was passed by the Senate and National Assembly separately during the passage of the 26th Constitutional Amendment. Sources said that President Asif Ali Zardari returned the bill, raising some objections, including that education is a provincial subject.

While the Presidency has maintained silence on bill’s return, sources in the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs confirmed that the bill had been received. Against this backdrop, the only option to give a legal shape to the bill is to allow its passage from the joint sitting of bot houses of parliament. The final decision is expected to be taken this week, sources said.

According to sources, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, during Wednesday’s meeting with Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto, expressed serious reservations over the president’s failure to sign the bill. Fazl also made any future cooperation conditional on the approval of Madrasa Registration Bill.