The Punjab Assembly on Wednesday passed the Societies Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026 by a majority vote, exempting religious seminaries registered with the federal Directorate General of Religious Education (DGRE)—the federal body that oversees madaris—from having to re-register in the province.
Under the amendment, institutions already on the federal directorate’s books will not have to register again under Punjab’s societies law. The same relief will apply to seminaries that register with the federal directorate in the future, according to the bill text considered by the House.
Why the assembly changed the law
Lawmakers said the change is meant to end dual registration of religious seminaries and ease legal confusion over how they are registered and regulated in Punjab. Institutions already cleared at the federal level would no longer face a second provincial paperwork trail for the same purpose.
The legislation aims to clarify the legal status of these seminaries and tidy the rules that govern their registration, while avoiding duplicate requirements for bodies already listed federally.
How the bill was shaped
The House took up the measure after reviewing the report of the relevant standing committee. On the committee’s advice, members added language so that seminaries registering with the federal directorate later would also fall under the exemption, not only those already listed.
The amendment inserts a new sub-section, 1A, into Section 21 of the Societies Registration Act to put that exemption into statute.
What happens next
After passage by the provincial assembly, the bill will be sent to the Punjab governor for final approval before it can take effect.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Punjab Assembly ne ek qanoon pass kiya hai jo federal DGRE ke paas register madaris ko dobara Punjab mein register karne se riha karti hai. Pehle kai madaris ko do dafa register hona parta tha—federal aur provincial. Ab federal list par jo madaris hain, unhein Punjab mein dobara register nahi karna hoga. Bill ab governor ke paas jayega; unki manzoori ke baad yeh qanoon laagu hoga.
