ISLAMABAD, Sept 14: A tough stance is likely to be taken by the Ittehad Tanzeemat Madaris Deenia (ITMD), a conglomeration of five ‘wafaqs’ that came into being on the registration issue, at its meeting with the government this weekend. Maulana Salimullah Khan, head of the Wafaqul Madaris Al Arabia, and Dr Sarfaraz Naeemi were elected president and secretary-general of the ITMD in place of Mufti Munibur Rehman and Qari Hanif Jallendhri, giving a signal to the government that they would not accept anything less than a change in the Societies Registration Act 1860 to its satisfaction.

Both Mufti Munib and Qari Jallendhri had tendered their resignations in the wake of severe criticism for accepting the government’s view on the amendment to act. They were blamed for being ‘soft’ towards the government in contravention of the majority of the ITMD representatives, sources told Dawn.

The government having set a deadline of Dec 31, 2005 for completion of the registration of over 13,000 seminaries is in a fix as it has received only 120 applications in the past three weeks.

The ITMD surprised the government by rejecting the amended act and registration under it after a meeting of the Wafaqul Madaris Al Arabia (Deobandi) on Sunday in which Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal secretary-general Maulana Fazlur Rehman also participated.

Religious Affairs Ministry secretary Vakil Ahmed Khan said that the rejection of the amended act showed a shift in clerics’ position which they had taken in talks with the government.

However, after a telephonic conversation with the newly-elected ITMD president Maulana Salimullah Khan, he expressed optimism that the issue would be resolved amiably.

Official sources said that Religious Affairs Minister Ijazul Haq might meet the ITMD leadership on Friday or Saturday to sort out differences on the amended act. The ITMD at its meeting on Monday had decided that the seminaries affiliated with it would not register themselves unless their reservations on the amended law were removed.