DI KHAN  -  JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has urged the government to notify the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024, as the bill has become an Act of parliament after the president returned it twice”.

“If a bill is not given assent within 10 days, it automatically become an act,” Fazl said during a press conference here yesterday. The disputed madrassa bill, which has already been passed by both houses of the parliament, has become a bone of contention between the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-F (JUI-F) and the government.

Following its approval from parliament, the bill now requires the president’s assent to become law but President Asif Ali Zardari had returned the bill earlier this month, citing legal objections. According to the Constitution, the bill must be tabled before a joint sitting after the president refuses to sign.

The new bill amends the existing procedure for registration of seminaries with the education ministry, stating that the institutions should be affiliated with the industries ministry instead.

“Acting Senate Chairman had returned the bill to president after signing on the first objection,” Fazl said claiming that now the bill is deemed as law.

He also vowed to move court if the government was unwilling to pass the bill, asking why the ruling parties did not object to the bill when it was tabled in the parliament.

Fazl also warned the government of nationwide protests if the notification for the Madrasa Registration Bill is not issued promptly.

He pointed out that the draft, presented by the Ministry of Law, was agreed upon during discussions on the 26th Constitutional Amendment, with the involvement of major parties, including the PML-N and PPP.