Fazl ur Rehman says religious seminaries won’t accept govt’s interference

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazl ur Rehman stated on Sunday that religious seminaries would not tolerate government interference.

He emphasized that seminaries must operate independently, saying, “Efforts to control seminaries have been made before by setting up a directorate. It was said that seminaries would be registered, and new seminaries would also be registered with cooperation.”

Rehman added, “There were claims of assisting seminaries by creating bank accounts, but no one can mislead us. The media should not be misused against religious seminaries.”

He pointed out that the law clearly stated that seminaries would remain independent, noting that 18,000 religious seminaries had been registered.

Referring to the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) tenure, Rehman revealed that the government had prepared a draft addressing seminaries, but interference halted its progress. He named key figures in the PDM government, including Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif, and MQM-Pakistan, as being involved.

Rehman expressed concerns about the 26th constitutional amendment, claiming it could have harmed the parliament and constitution if passed in its original form.

He also mentioned holding lengthy discussions with Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Shehbaz Sharif on the matter and noted that PTI had raised no objections. “The bill was approved with consensus in parliament, yet it was signed at the President’s House. Why was this done?” he questioned.

Rehman warned, “Are you ready for our march to Islamabad? We will win this struggle.” He also mentioned Mufti Taqi Usmani’s call for a meeting to develop a unified stance among seminaries, with the meeting scheduled for December 16 or 17 to make a collective decision.

He concluded, “We are not afraid of threats and will stand firm in our resolve.”