ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari on Sunday signed into law a bill relating to the registration of madrasas (religious seminaries) in the country, following months of delay despite its passage from parliament.
The Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024 was passed by both houses of Pakistan parliament in October this year, but it was caught in limbo after President Zardari cautioned parliamentarians to consider international obligations before altering existing procedures to register religious seminaries.
The main sticking point was that the new bill amended the existing procedure for registering madrasas with the education ministry and says the institutions should be affiliated with the industries ministry instead.
“The Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2024 is assented to, as advised by the prime minister,” read a notification signed by President Zardari.
Although the notification was dated Dec. 27, but it was issued to media on Sunday, Dec. 29.
Every religious seminary existing before the commencement of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024, if not already registered, shall get itself registered under the Act within six months from the commencement of the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024, according to the new law.
A seminary established after the promulgation of the new law will get itself registered under the Act within one year of its establishment.
The passage of the bill was widely reported to have been one of the conditions on which the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) religious party supported the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and helped it secure two-third majority required in parliament to pass the 26th Constitutional Amendment in October.
The JUI religious party, which rigorously campaigned for the bill in recent months, welcomed Sunday’s development and said it would continue to play its role in “protecting religious seminaries.”
“Religious schools are the fortress of Islam and the guardians of Pakistan’s ideological geography,” it said in a statement.
“Unity of [religious] scholars is important for the protection of religious institutions.”
Pakistan president signs madrasa registration bill into law after months of delay
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Pakistan president signs madrasa registration bill into law after months of delay
- The development comes two days Pakistan’s federal cabinet approved tweaks to the Societies Registration Act, 1860
- Every seminary existing before commencement of new law will be required to get itself registered in 6 months it says
Pakistani non-profit calls 2024 elections ‘flawed,’ welcomes government-opposition dialogue
- PILDAT sees coalition parties assisting the establishment for ‘short-term selfish political gains’
- It says recent amendments reflect growing centralization of decision-making in the country
ISLAMABAD: A leading Pakistani non-profit on Tuesday said the 2024 general elections led to a “fracture of popular mandate” and intensified political instability in the country, though it also expressed optimism over the newly initiated negotiations between the government and opposition.
The Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency (PILDAT), which focuses on democratic governance, released its end-of-year Quality of Democracy in Pakistan 2024 report a day earlier. The report provides an overview of the state of politics in Pakistan over the past year, marked by increasing polarization and systemic issues.
“The 12th General Election held in February 2024 after a considerable delay was a largely flawed exercise that served to fracture popular mandate and to provide citizens only with a modicum of political and electoral choice,” it said.
Pakistan’s national polls were marred by accusations of irregularities, including delayed results, amid claims by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party that its candidates faced significant obstacles in running their campaigns.
PTI candidates were also forced to contest as independents after the Supreme Court ruled its intra-party elections flawed, stripping it of its election symbol. Party leaders alleged the system was heavily rigged against them.
The subsequent election results did not leave any party positioned to form a government independently, leading to political negotiations that helped the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif build a coalition with a razor-thin majority.
“Pakistan’s leading political parties have continued to display a sad and familiar proclivity to assist the establishment against a political opponent of the time in return for short-term selfish political gains,” the report noted, using a popular euphemism for the country’s powerful military and adding that the current political set-up “is no different.”
It also highlighted controversial developments, including amendments restructuring the judiciary and extending the tenures of defense chiefs, which it described as evidence of growing centralization of decision-making influenced by the establishment.
The PILDAT report also addressed persistent social media blackouts in the country, describing them as a means of suppressing critical political voices.
“To manage and silence political dissent, the current set-up has stepped up efforts to manage the use of Internet and social media platforms by blocking certain applications and controlling the flow of communication through others,” it said.
However, the report welcomed the dialogue between the government and PTI, which formally began last month, calling it a potential path to political and economic stability.
“Against this bleak horizon, the improving economic stability and the stated willingness and initiation for political dialogue between the PTI and the government offer the only silver lining,” PILDAT noted.
“Despite grandstanding by the government and its backers and tough bargaining and threats of civil disobedience by the PTI, it is our belief that a comprehensive dialogue must be sustained to find politically negotiated solutions,” it added.
Pakistan PM vows to work for ‘economic self-reliance’ in 2025 amid security challenges
- Shehbaz Sharif calls 2024 ‘a remarkable year of Pakistan’ in which it ‘marched from default to development’
- He acknowledges the renewed threat of militant violence while praising the military’s efforts to counter it
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday described 2024 as a year of economic recovery and expressed hope for self-reliance in the new year, while acknowledging persistent security challenges caused by a surge in militant violence.
Pakistan narrowly avoided a sovereign debt default in 2023 after securing short-term external financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) under a $3 billion bailout program.
The agreement required Islamabad to implement stringent economic reforms, including subsidy cuts and utility price hikes, to stabilize its fragile economy. While macroeconomic indicators have since improved, many Pakistanis continue to grapple with the lingering effects of years of financial turmoil and the burden of reforms.
The government also managed to secure another IMF loan of $7 billion last year in September, saying it was important to get the money to consolidate the economic gains.
“2024 was a remarkable year for Pakistan, as we marched from default to development, overcoming economic challenges with resilience and determination,” Sharif wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “We made difficult but necessary decisions that rescued our economy from collapse, restored macroeconomic stability, controlled fiscal deficits, and strengthened our reserves. As a result, inflation has come down to single digits, and the prospects for economic growth have been revived.”
“We step into 2025 with renewed determination to achieve economic self-reliance and chart a brighter, more prosperous future for our nation,” he added.
Sharif’s remarks also addressed the security situation, highlighting Pakistan’s armed forces’ efforts to counter a renewed wave of militant violence.
“Amidst other challenges, Pakistan also faced a renewed surge in terrorism this year,” he said, reaffirming the military’s commitment to ensuring peace.
He credited the nation’s unwavering support for its forces in their fight against militants who, he maintained, “stand in stark opposition to the very idea of Pakistan.”
The prime minister also highlighted the launch of “Uraan Pakistan,” or “Fly Pakistan,” which is a homegrown five-year, export-oriented economic transformation plan unveiled by his administration a day earlier, which he described as a result of his government’s vision to build on recent stability and achieve sustained growth.
As 2025 dawns, Karachi family recalls a year of financial struggles in Pakistan’s economic storm
- Effendis slashed monthly grocery budget, let go of domestic help in 2024 amid surging inflation, rising utility bills
- The family hopes fuel and food prices stabilize in 2025, allowing them to resume family outings and vacation trips
KARACHI: In a modest rented apartment in Karachi’s Gulistan-e-Jauhar neighborhood, Ednan Effendi and his wife, Samreen, recall a time when annual family trips to northern Pakistan were a cherished tradition. Now, stagnant incomes, inflation and higher taxes have left the Effendis, like millions of other Pakistani families, struggling, as the country tries to recover from a prolonged economic crisis.
Pakistan’s inflation rate in November fell to 4.9 percent, a six-year low, with the finance ministry projecting December’s rate to hover around 4-5 percent. The central bank expects consumer prices to average below 13.5 percent this fiscal year, attributing the improvement to sound monetary policy, a stable currency and declining global commodity prices.
Yet, countless middle-class families like the Effendis— a key indicator of any country’s economic health— are reeling from rising fuel and food costs, along with increased taxes.
“Four years ago, we used to go on family trips to Pakistan’s northern areas annually,” Samreen Effendi, 45, told Arab News. “But now the budget doesn’t allow it.”
Last year in September, Pakistan secured a 37-month, $7 billion financial bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), committing to financial reforms such as raising taxes and utility prices. While aimed at long-term stabilization, these measures have deepened financial hardship for families like the Effendis, forcing difficult trade-offs.
“We have no choice but to live within our income,” said Effendi, a 53-year-old government officer and father of two. “In the same salary, we must pay children’s school fees, buy groceries and manage household expenses.”
Four years ago, the Effendis could afford items like ketchup, chocolate spread and cheese in their monthly groceries. Surging inflation has slashed their grocery budget from Rs30,000 [$107] to Rs15,000 [$53.68]. Now, their monthly shopping is limited to staples such as rice and lentils.
“Gone are the days when we could buy everything in bulk,” Samreen lamented.
She said that she once dreamed of providing her children with an education better than her own, though she has now been facing harsh realities.
“Even the fees for government colleges and universities have become so high they have gone beyond our budget,” she said. “What can we do? We are middle-class people.”
‘ENJOYING LIFE OUT OF THE QUESTION’
As living costs soared, Samreen let go of domestic help and now takes on all the household chores herself.
“We’ve let go of our maids. Now we sweep and mop the house ourselves, wash clothes ourselves,” she said. “A regular woman can do these tasks, but how can she also work a job alongside them?”
Millions of families in Karachi grapple with daily water and gas shortages, resorting to costly gas cylinders and private water tankers charging exorbitant rates.
Samreen says managing groceries, education bills and rising utility expenses has become nearly impossible.
“Going out and enjoying life is out of the question now. Even having two meals a day at home has become a blessing,” she added.
Despite the challenges, the Effendis hold on to hope as the new year approaches. Effendi longs for the day prices stabilize, allowing him to take his family on outings and fulfill his father’s modest wish of traveling to the scenic hill station of Murree by train.
“I could take my children and my wife for outings, seeing a smile on her face,” Effendi said. “I could take my father, who has been asking for a trip to Murree or a train ride for so long.”
“My biggest wish is for 2025 to be a great year for me and everyone else,” he added.
Blasts in northwest Pakistan leave 2 dead, 13 wounded including policemen
- First attack targeted a funeral in Azam Warsak, the other was directed against a police van in Bannu
- Such incidents have surged in recent years, contributing to an atmosphere of heightened insecurity
PESHAWAR: Two people were killed and at least 13 others, including several police personnel, were injured in two separate bomb blasts in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province on Tuesday, police said.
KP, which shares a long and porous border with Afghanistan, has experienced a surge in militant violence in recent years. The region has been targeted by deadly suicide bombings and attacks on both civilians and security forces, contributing to an atmosphere of heightened insecurity.
Police spokesperson in the province, Habib Islam, told Arab News the first explosion occurred in Azam Warsak, a town on the outskirts of Wana, the headquarters of South Waziristan district, as people dispersed from a funeral ceremony.
“The blast left two persons dead and eight others wounded. The explosion was triggered by a remote-controlled device, but it can’t be immediately confirmed who was the target of the attack,” he added.
Soon after the incident, a heavy police contingent rushed to the crime scene to evacuate the dead and wounded to the nearest medical facility.
Dr. Hammad Mehmood, a senior medical practitioner at the DHQ Hospital Wana, said the staff received a total of nine wounded, with two critically injured individuals referred to Dera Ismail Khan for treatment.
The second blast occurred in Bannu district, where a police mobile van was targeted with an improvised explosive device (IED), leaving five policemen injured, a senior police officer, Zahir Nawaz, told Arab News.
“Five policemen were injured in a blast triggered by a device planted in the Mamaskhel area of Bannu district,” he added.
Over 82 policemen have been killed in attacks, ambushes, and targeted killings in KP this year, according to official data.
Such attacks have been on the rise in northwestern Pakistan in recent months, with most being claimed by the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.
TTP fighters have targeted security forces’ convoys and check posts and carried out targeted killings, as well as kidnappings of law enforcers and government officials.
Earlier this month, two policemen were killed and three injured in an attack on a check post in the province’s Shangla district.
Pakistan has frequently accused neighboring Afghanistan of sheltering and supporting the TTP and other militant groups, urging the administration to prevent its territory from being used by armed factions to launch cross-border attacks.
The Afghan Taliban deny the charge, insisting Pakistan’s security issues are an internal matter.
Pakistan forecasts thunderstorms, heavy snowfall in northwest from January 1 to 6
- KP’s top PDMA official has asked district administrations to take necessary precautionary measures
- Pakistan has seen erratic weather patterns recently, with scientists attributing them to climate change
ISLAMABAD: Weather authorities in Pakistan on Tuesday predicted thunderstorms and heavy snowfall in the upper districts of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province from January 1 to 6.
Pakistan has experienced erratic changes in its weather patterns in recent years, which scientists attribute to climate change. This year, the country recorded its “wettest April since 1961,” with 59.3 millimeters of rainfall, while some areas endured deadly heat waves in May and June.
KP’s Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) forecast rain and snowfall in Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Shangla, Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Haripur, Malakand, Buner, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Kurram, Waziristan, Peshawar, Charsadda, Nowshera, Swabi, Bannu, Karak and Kohat.
“The forecast indicates that the rain and snowfall will continue from January 1 to 6,” the PDMA said in a statement, adding there was a likelihood of heavy snowfall on mountains from January 1 to 5.
The PDMA has notified all district administrations to undertake precautionary measures and ensure the availability of large and small machines to handle any emergencies.
The public has been advised to avoid power lines, decaying buildings, construction sites and billboards, while farmers have been urged to plan their activities accordingly.
DG PDMA Asfandyar Khattak directed the authorities to remain vigilant in case of any untoward incidents and advised tourists to contact relevant officials before traveling.
“Local administrations in sensitive districts should communicate weather-related messages in local languages to the community,” he added. “In case of any emergency, all relevant agencies should remain alert to restore road links and provide alternative routes for traffic in the event of road closures.”
Meanwhile, PDMA Balochistan said cloudy weather was expected in most districts, with light rain and snowfall likely in Chaman, Kalat, Zhob, Qilla Abdullah, Qilla Saifullah, Pishin, Ziarat and Quetta in the southwestern province.
In 2022, unusually heavy rains triggered floods in many parts of the country, killing over 1,700 people, inflicting economic losses of around $30 billion and affecting at least 30 million people.
