Religious Leaders Demand Immediate Gazette Notification of Madaris Act

Islamabad:Chairman of the Pakistan Ulema Council, Hafiz Tahir Mehmood Ashrafi, has called for religious seminaries (madaris) to be allowed to affiliate with either the Ministry of Industry or Agriculture, depending on their preference, and urged the government to amend existing policies after consulting with all seminaries’ boards.

Ashrafi emphasized that the agreement to affiliate seminaries with the Ministry of Education had been made by senior religious leaders in the past. However, he stated that any decision to end this affiliation would not be accepted, adding that all religious institutions need to acknowledge and respect each other’s role. He also warned against the risk of destabilizing the future of millions of students if current divisions within seminaries continue.

His comments came after a meeting of the *Ittehad Tanzeemaat Madaris Deenia* (United Religious Seminaries Organizations) in Islamabad, where a statement was issued demanding that the *Madaris Act*—which has already been passed by Parliament—be immediately published as a Gazette notification.

In a press conference following the meeting, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman reiterated the religious community’s desire for peace and stability in the country, emphasizing that they are not seeking to impose their demands by force. He expressed a commitment to resolving the issue through parliamentary and constitutional means, rejecting any paths that could further delay the matter.

Mufti Munib-ur-Rehman, another key religious leader, explained that the Madaris Act had been approved by both houses of Parliament. He noted that after some objections raised by the President, the Speaker of the National Assembly had acknowledged that the Act had been passed. He warned that if the government failed to issue the Gazette notification, the religious leadership would reconvene to decide on a future course of action.

The meeting was attended by prominent religious figures including Mufti Taqi Usmani, Professor Sajid Mir, and other leading scholars from across Pakistan.