Charsadda, December 9, 2024: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Monday rejected any proposed amendments to the madrassa bill, declaring his party’s complete refusal to entertain the government’s suggestions.
Addressing a press conference in Charsadda, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Fazlur Rehman said the JUI-F would categorically reject any changes put forward by the government. He questioned why the President had returned the madrassa bill, already approved by the National Assembly and Senate, with objections. He criticized this move, pointing out that if the President could sign other bills into law, there was no justification for sending the madrassa bill back.
Fazlur Rehman clarified that the bill granted madrasahs autonomy to affiliate with any federal institution, whether under the 1860 Act or the Ministry of Education. He dismissed the government’s claims that the bill sought to affiliate madrasahs specifically with the Ministry of Education.
The JUI-F leader also expressed concerns over attempts to create divisions among religious scholars and madrasahs. He emphasized that there was a consensus among scholars and madrasahs regarding the bill. He highlighted an upcoming meeting on December 17, convened by Mufti Taqi Usmani and the president of the Federation of Madrasahs, where a unified stance on the issue would be decided.
Fazlur Rehman urged the government not to politicize the matter, stressing that the issue concerned law and regulation. He criticized what he called the government’s attempt to bring madrasahs under executive control, describing it as a move to undermine their independence.
A day earlier, Fazlur Rehman issued a stark warning, suggesting his party might march to the federal capital if pushed further. “The bullets of our opponents may run out, but our resolve will remain unshaken,” he said. He rebuked those in uniform and intelligence agencies, cautioning them to “stay within their limits” and refrain from issuing threats. Accusing the government of betrayal over the madrassa bill, Fazlur Rehman said the agreement reached with religious leaders had been violated. He criticized the government as being controlled by the establishment, claiming it had strayed from Pakistan’s ideological foundations. “You have chosen a path to dismantle Pakistan—a nation to which you have neither contributed in its creation nor its preservation,” he concluded.
