Pakistan Under Pressure of Religious Leaders Amid Reformation of Religious Seminaries

In recent years, Pakistan’s religious seminaries (Madrassas) system has been at the center of intense debate and reform efforts. With over 18,400 madrassas registered under the Ministry of Education, the system serves as a key pillar of Pakistan’s educational landscape, providing instruction to millions of students, particularly in rural areas. However, a contentious issue has arisen surrounding the registration and regulation of these institutions, as political and religious leaders exert pressure on the government to alter the framework governing madrassa education. The debate can potentially lead to religious polarization squeezing government to surrender before the religious factions. 

At the heart of the current controversy is the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024, which seeks to bring madrassas under the Ministry of Industries through the Societies Registration Act. The bill has become a flashpoint in Pakistan’s politics, drawing sharp objections from key stakeholders led by Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman, the head of the powerful religious party Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazal (JUI-F). As religious and political factions clash, the future of madrassa reforms remains uncertain, with both legal and political challenges standing in the way of a potential resolution.

Madrassas in Pakistan play an integral role in the education system, especially in providing Islamic religious education to millions of children. According to the Director General of Religious Education (DGRE), there are around 3 million students registered in Madaris all over Pakistan. Historically, these institutions have operated independently of the mainstream education system, with limited oversight or regulation from the government. However, in the post 9/11 context, Pakistan’s governments have sought to bring greater regulation and transparency to the madrassa sector, primarily to address concerns over extremism, financial transparency, and curriculum standards.

In 2023, around 18,400 madrassas were officially registered under the Directorate General of Religious Education (DGRE), a department within Pakistan’s Ministry of Education. This initiative was seen as a significant step toward formalizing madrassa education and improving the oversight of religious schools. The registration process, which has taken a decade to accomplish, was based on a consensus between the government and religious leaders. The registration under the DGRE allowed madrassas to be classified within the broader education system, with a focus on promoting standardization and ensuring accountability.

However, a new development has emerged that threatens to shift the regulatory framework of madrassa education. The Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024 proposes amendments to Section 21 of the Societies Registration Act, which would place madrassas under the Ministry of Industries, rather than the Ministry of Education. The current government incorporated the bill in the 26th constitutional amendment whereas the bill has been passed in the national assembly and the senate of Pakistan parliament. However, the bill has not been signed by the president with the observations that it will badly affect the process of 18,400 Madaris which are already registered under the ministry of education. 

This proposed shift has led to significant opposition from religious groups, particularly Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman and his JUI-F party, who have a large base of support among religious institutions. Maulana Fazal Ur Rehman, a prominent religious leader and politician, has emerged as one of the key figures pushing for the passage of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2024. Rehman’s JUI-F party has long had a vested interest in the madrassa system, with many of its supporters and political allies being madrassa administrators and religious leaders. As such, Rehman sees the bill as a way to further consolidate his party’s influence over the religious education sector and secure greater autonomy for madrassas.

The JUI-F’s pressure on the government has been palpable. Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, an ex-JUI leader, stated that if the bill is not passed, religious groups might take to the streets, with the possibility of a march on Islamabad. Haideri and other members of the JUI-F have emphasized that their party views the bill as an essential move to safeguard the religious education system and prevent undue interference from the Ministry of Education. They argue that the proposed shift under the Societies Registration Act would allow madrassas to operate with more freedom, particularly in terms of managing their internal affairs.

This pressure campaign has been intensifying as the bill has passed through the National Assembly and Senate, only to be returned by President Asif Ali Zardari due to legal and jurisdictional concerns. The President raised objections regarding the bill’s failure to clarify whether it would override existing laws governing madrassa registration, which are currently under the Ministry of Education. This legal ambiguity, along with concerns about the bill’s potential to interfere with provincial education laws, led the president of Pakistan to send the bill back unsigned.

Furthermore, Zardari’s legal team has raised questions about the bill’s compatibility with the Constitution of Pakistan, which divides education into federal and provincial jurisdictions. Education is largely a provincial subject under Pakistan’s constitutional framework, and changes to the registration process of madrassas could be seen as overstepping the federal government’s authority. The Societies Registration Act itself is designed to regulate the registration of various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and associations, but the introduction of madrassas into this framework could be perceived as encroaching upon provincial education autonomy.

However, the pressure is mounting. The incumbent government and Pakistan Democratic Movement alliance seems bowing down to the pressure of religious factions. If the bill is passed, religious seminaries will succeed in securing their transactional matters and auditing process from the state authorities. Furthermore, it will put more pressure on the government from the already registered Madaris to re-register them under the new law. The consequence of this mess would be simple – Pakistan may find itself in trouble in the next review by Financial Action Task Force (FATF). At the same time it will undo the decades long effort by the previous governments to register and monitor the Madaris under state laws.

Amid all this crisis, the future of ideological reformation and transformation to a modern society hinges upon the resolution of ongoing stalemate. The ultimate sufferer of the new bill would be the students of Madaris who have been mainstreamed through a constitutional process. Regardless of domestic implications, Pakistan might receive a disdained response from the international community. Pakistan’s madrassa reform process has entered a new phase of contention. As religious leaders, political figures, and legal experts continue to clash, the future of madrassa education hangs in the balance.