ISLAMABAD – President Asif Ali Zardari has returned the Madrasah Registration Bill to the Prime Minister’s Office, citing legal objections. The bill, which aimed to regulate and register religious schools (madrasahs), faced significant hurdles during the legal review process.
Sources indicate that President Zardari raised concerns about the bill’s legal validity, particularly its lack of clarity regarding the jurisdiction of madrasah registration. The bill had been pushed through by the government following assurances made to Maulana Fazlur Rehman, a key ally. However, the registration of madrasahs falls under provincial education ministries, and there are already existing laws governing madrasah registration in Islamabad. The new bill does not specify that it would supersede these existing regulations.
As a result, President Zardari has sent the bill back without signing it, despite the wishes of Bilawal Bhutto. The bill, which focuses on regulating madrasah accounts and registration, is viewed as a provincial issue. For the bill to have any practical effect, all provinces must pass it in their respective assemblies. Even if President Zardari had signed the bill, its provincial nature would have rendered it largely ineffective without provincial approval.
The bill’s approval was seen as a political compromise to satisfy the demands of religious factions. However, the president’s legal objections indicate that further parliamentary procedures are necessary before the bill can become law.
Earlier on Wednesday, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari met with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Islamabad. Accompanied by a PPP delegation, Bilawal discussed the status of the Madrasah Registration Bill, which has yet to receive the president’s approval despite being passed by both houses of parliament. Maulana Fazlur Rehman expressed his concerns about the delay, questioning why the president had not signed the bill. Bilawal assured him that he would raise the matter with the government to ensure the issue is addressed