ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has sent advice to President Asif Ali Zardari for holding a joint session of parliament on December 17, eight bills including Madrassa registration bill will be discussed.
The premier has advised the president to summon a joint session of parliament on Tuesday at 11 a.m., according to sources. Eight bills, including the contentious madrassa registration bill, are expected to be tabled.
Sources further indicated that consultations are ongoing between the government and the Maulana Fazlur Rehman-led party regarding a new bill after President Asif Ali Zardari raised eight objections to the previous Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024.
The madrassa registration bill, already passed by both houses of parliament, has become a point of contention between the JUI-F and the government. Its enactment was a key condition of the agreement between the government and the religio-political party for supporting the 26th Amendment.
Following its parliamentary approval, the bill requires the president’s assent to become law. However, President Zardari returned the bill earlier this month, citing legal objections. As per the Constitution, the bill must be presented before a joint session after the president’s refusal to sign.
Reacting to the objections on Saturday, JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah alleged that the government’s “primary objective is handing over seminaries to FATF [Financial Action Task Force] at the behest of the global anti-money laundering watchdog.”
