President’s objections to Madrasahs’ Bill have nothing to do with FATF: Tarar

• It is not in interest of anyone to politicize constitutional and legal matters: Info Minister

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Saturday said that the objections raised by President Asif Ali Zardari to the Madrasahs Registration Bill are completely “constitutional and legal”.

“Neither there is any mention of Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in these objections, nor they have any connection with it,” said the minister in a post on X formerly Twitter on Saturday.

He said it is not in the interest of anyone to politicize the constitutional and legal matters. “Linking the registration of seminaries with FATF is nothing but a creation of complete imagination and speculation”, he said.

The Constitution elaborated the complete procedure for legislation, he said, adding the President objected in accordance with the Constitution and the Parliament would also rectify it in the same spirit.

The purpose of these speculations is to target the powers of the President and Parliament, he said, while urging the people not to criticize the issue just for the sake of criticism.

Objections raised to registration of religious seminaries

According to the objections, raised by the president, the registration of religious seminaries under the law would lead to spread of sectarianism and establishment of many seminaries in the same society that may disturb the law and order situation.

The president objected to the contradiction in the definition of madrassa in various provisions of the new bill.

The president has also expressed fear that if the madrassa bill turns into a law, then it may lead to imposition of FATF, Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), and other sanctions on the country.

Referring to the Madrasah Education Board Ordinance 2001 and the Islamabad Capital Territory Trust Act 2020, he said that the new legislation could not be enacted in the presence of both acts.

The registration of madrassas in the society would lead to a conflict of interest and such a conflict of interest would draw international criticism, while the approval of the bill could lead to a change in the FATF and other international organisations’ opinions and ratings of Pakistan, the objection by the president said.

The president suggested to the members of the assembly that international issues should be taken into account while drafting a bill related to madrasahs.