JUI-F postpones protest after Bugti assures of action

QUETTA: Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has deferred its planned protest after Balochistan Chief Minister Mir Sarfraz Bugti assured the party that issues linked to alleged raids on religious seminaries would be addressed through talks, the party said on Thursday.

The decision came after a meeting between CM Bugti and JUI-F Balochistan chief Senator Maulana Abdul Wasey at the senator’s residence in Quetta. The meeting was held to ease tensions that had escalated a day earlier, when the party observed a strike.

Coalition ministers also accompanied the chief minister during the meeting.

Speaking at a press conference after the talks, Maulana Wasey said both sides had reviewed the matter in detail and agreed to move forward through dialogue.

He said the protest had been postponed until May 20 after the chief minister assured the party that such incidents would not recur during his tenure.

Maulana Wasey also said JUI-F was prepared to hold discussions on the registration of seminaries under the 26th Constitutional Amendment. He added that political matters are settled through dialogue and consultation, saying nothing in politics is final.

Government seeks time on proposed legislation

In a separate media interaction, CM Bugti described the meeting as constructive and said his government supported religious seminaries. "Religious seminaries are an important part of society, and the government will continue to provide every possible support for their development and improvement," he said.

The chief minister said the Madrasa Registration Act had already been passed by the national parliament and would now be placed before the Balochistan Assembly.

He said he and his coalition partners had asked JUI-F for 10 days to consult their respective party leaderships on the proposed provincial legislation. According to the chief minister, the aim was to settle the matter through mutual understanding and to bring consensus-based legislation before the assembly.

The latest development marks a temporary easing of tensions between the provincial government and JUI-F over the seminary issue, with both sides publicly stating that they want to resolve the dispute through negotiations rather than confrontation.

The party’s decision means the planned protest will remain on hold until May 20 while consultations continue on the proposed law concerning madrasa registration in Balochistan.