Federal Information Minister Refutes Claims Linking Madrasah Registration Bill to FATF

Islamabad, Pakistan – Federal Information Minister Atta Tarar has dismissed claims that the Madrasah Registration Bill is connected to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) requirements, calling such assertions baseless. His comments come in response to statements made by Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) leader Hafiz Hamdullah, who criticized the President of Pakistan’s objections to the bill.

Tarar emphasized that the objections raised by President Asif Ali Zardari regarding the Madrasah Registration Bill are both legal and constitutional, and do not mention FATF. “It is politically inappropriate to politicize legal and constitutional matters,” Tarar stated, urging for restraint against unnecessary rhetoric that targets the authority of the President and Parliament.

Hafiz Hamdullah had previously claimed that the objections from the Presidential office indicate that the true intent behind the Madrasah Registration Bill is to bring religious schools under the purview of FATF. He argued that this suggests that the decisions made in Parliament are not reflecting the will of the Pakistani people, but rather those of FATF, asserting that Pakistan’s legislative body is not truly independent in this context.