KARACHI, Aug 15: The governor of Sindh has promulgated an ordinance to amend the Society’s Registration Act, 1860 under which all Deeni Madaris will have to be registered and no new madressah will be allowed to be set up or to operate without registration.

This ordinance which comes into force with immediate effect stipulates that all Deeni Madaris “by whatsoever name called shall not be established or operate without being registered under this act.”

It says that every madressah shall submit annual report of its activities and performance to the registrar, and that every registered madressah shall maintain accounts of its actual expenses and receipts and annually submit its report to the registrar.

A madressah shall get its accounts audited by an auditor and submit its audited accounts to the registrar.

The ordinance says that no madressah shall teach or publish any literature which promotes militancy or spreads sectarianism or religious hatred. The Balochistan governor has issued a similar ordinance.

According to a notification, the ordinance was issued as the provincial assembly was not in session and the governor was satisfied that circumstances existed in the province that rendered it necessary to amend the act.