Charsadda (Web Desk): Jamiat Ulema-e-Islama-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday accused the incumbent government of creating divisions among religious scholars.
Speaking at a press conference in Charsadda district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the JUI-F chief declared that his party would not accept any amendments to the madrassa bill proposed by the government, emphasizing that any such suggestions would be categorically rejected.
He expressed confusion over why the president had returned the bill, which had already passed through both the National Assembly and the Senate, with objections.
Fazlur Rehman pointed out that if the president had no issue signing other bills, there should be no reason to challenge the madrassa bill.
He also addressed the government's concerns about the affiliation of madrasahs with the Ministry of Education, clarifying that the bill grants madrasahs the freedom to affiliate with any federal body, whether it is under the 1860 Act or the Ministry of Education.
Fazlur Rehman voiced his alarm over attempts to create divisions within the religious community, asserting that there was broad agreement among scholars and madrasas regarding the bill.
The JUI-F chief mentioned an upcoming meeting on December 17, called by prominent religious leaders including Mufti Taqi Usmani and the president of the Federation of Madrassahs, where a unified decision on the bill would be reached.
He urged the government not to politicize the matter, stressing that it was a legal and regulatory issue, not a political one.
Fazlur Rehman further criticized the government's efforts to bring madrasahs under direct executive control, accusing them of trying to regulate religious seminaries in a way that could push them towards extremism.
The JUI-F suggested that these moves were influenced by external pressures, particularly from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Western countries.
