ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has warned the Pakistani government against politicizing the Madrassa Registration Bill, stressing that his party will not back down on the issue.

In a press conference, Fazlur Rehman accused the government of attempting to divide the clerics (Ulama) by selectively meeting with certain scholars, calling it part of a conspiracy to create divisions within the religious community. The JUI-F chief made it clear that the party’s stance on the Madrassa Registration Bill is not driven by its own interests, but rather by a broader concern for the rights of all madrassas and religious scholars in the country. “Madrassas are independent institutions, and they are not subordinate to the government,” he emphasized.

Maulana Fazl also criticized the government for allegedly attempting to exert control over madrassas through international bodies like the IMF and FATF. He warned that his party’s aim is to protect Pakistan’s institutions and the rights of madrassas, not to allow their destruction. Earlier in the day, the Pakistani government presented a revised draft of the seminary registration bill to JUI-F, following a consultation between JUI-F Senator Kamran Murtaza and the government’s legal team. The draft proposed several options, including registering madrassas under the Ministry of Education, DC offices, or the Ministry of Interior. The government also suggested honoring a 2019 agreement that was previously reached with JUI-F.

Senator Kamran Murtaza is expected to brief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on the revised draft, after which the JUI-F leader will consult with the party’s central council and madrassa representatives before providing a response. The passage of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which would require madrassas to register under an official framework, was a key condition for JUI-F’s support of the 26th Constitutional Amendment. While the bill has been passed by parliament, it is still awaiting presidential assent after concerns were raised by President Asif Ali Zardari. Madrassas play a critical role in religious education in Pakistan, and the new legislation seeks to regulate their activities in a more organized manner. However, its implementation has sparked significant debate.