The spat between the government and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl) over madrassa registration risks morphing into a wider conflict between religious elders.
Over the past week, Maulana Fazlur Rehman has repeatedly threatened a long march on Islamabad if the government does not enact the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024—as committed to him against his party’s support for the 26th Amendment. The matter is growing increasingly contentious. Rehman has warned he will not entertain any government explanations for the delay. Both houses of Parliament passed the bill alongside the 26th Amendment, he notes. President Asif Ali Zardari’s refusal to sign it over legal concerns undermines the will of Parliament, he adds.
To ease tensions with the JUIF, the government organized a gathering of members of the Council of Islamic Ideology. Claiming to represent over 18,000 madrassas, the ulema said they differed with Rehman on the amended law. They prefer to remain under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education. Fazl sees this as an attempt to sow discord among ulema; the ulema deride him for bringing politics into what they describe as a purely religious matter.
The government cannot afford to ignore this looming crisis. Religious passions are easily inflamed and Pakistan’s history of sectarian violence is troubling. Less than a month ago, over 100 people were killed in clashes between rival Sunni and Shia tribes in Kurram. Pitting sects against each other is unlikely to yield significantly different results.
The maulana has made clear he is ready—and willing—to stage a long march on Islamabad if a gathering of madrassa boards led by Mufti Taqi Usmani agrees to it next week. The government-affiliated boards have likewise threatened to stage their own protests if the rules are reverted to their pre-2019 levels. Pakistan cannot afford rival protests that risk spiraling into sectarian strife. The government must call a meeting of religious elders of all schools of thought; find a mutually acceptable path forward; and ensure calm. A Jirga helped resolve the Kurram crisis; it could do the same here.
If the government fails to act quickly, it risks furthering already perilous levels of societal polarization. A country struggling to achieve stability cannot afford the degree of uncertainty that entails.