The Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab Act 2022‎‎

^{^[1]}THE MUTTEHIDA ULEMA BOARD PUNJAB ACT 2022

(ACT XL OF 2022)

[16^th December 2022]

An Act to make provisions for reconstitution of the Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab.

It is necessary to reconstitute Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab mandated to make recommendations to ward off provocative, sectarian, biased and anti-Islamic material; and to provide for the ancillary matters.

Be it enacted by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab as follows:

1. Short title, extent and commencement.- (1) This Act may be cited as the Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab Act 2022.

(2) This Act extends to whole of the Punjab.

(3) This Act shall come into force at once.

2. Definitions.- In this Act:

(a) “Board” means the Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab reconstituted under this Act;

(b) “Chairman” means the Chairman of the Board;

(d) “member” means a member of the Board;

(e) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;

(f) “Secretary” means Secretary to the Board; and

(g) “Ulema” means the scholars having degrees in Al-Shahadat-ul-Aalimia from Ittehad Tanzimat Madaris-e-Deenia Pakistan, and other Deeni Madaris Boards recognized by the Government.

3. Reconstitution of the Board.- (1) Upon commencement of this Act, the existing Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab shall stand reconstituted for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) The Board shall be a special institution consisting of:

(a)	Chairman to be nominated by the Chief Minister from amongst the members of the Board for a term of three years;
(b)	twenty four Ulema (six each from Deobandi, Barelvi, Ahl-e-Hadith and Ahl-e-Tashee Maktaba-e-Fikr with fair representation of women members) to be nominated by the Chief Minister for a term of three years;	members
(c)	Additional Chief Secretary (Home) to the Government, Home Department or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(d)	Inspector General of Police, Punjab or an officer not below the rank of a Deputy Inspector General of Police;	member
(e)	Secretary to the Government, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Department or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(f)	Secretary to the Government, Information and Culture Department or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(g)	Secretary to the Government, Public Prosecution Department or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(h)	Secretary to the Government, Schools Education Department or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(i)	Secretary to the Government, Higher Education Department or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(j)	Secretary to the Government, Auqaf and Religious Affairs Department, or his nominee not below the rank of an Additional Secretary;	member
(k)	Director General, Punjab Auqaf Organization;	member
(l)	Chairman Quran Board, established under the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) Act, 2011 (XIII of 2011); and	member
(m)	Managing Director of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board.	member

(3) The Chairman and members shall serve on honorary basis.

(4) The Chairman or a member other than an ex-officio member may, in writing under his hand addressed to the Chief Minister, resign his office, or he may be removed by the Chief Minister if he is:

(a) found guilty of misconduct after proper inquiry; or

(b) unfit to continue to hold office on account of physical or mental incapacity and stands so declared by a medical board constituted by the Government.

(5) If the office of the Chairman falls vacant on account of any cause, the Chief Minister may nominate any member to act as the Chairman for a period not exceeding three months or until the nomination of a new Chairman whichever is earlier.

4. Secretariat of the Board.- (1) There shall be a Secretariat of the Board to be headed by the Secretary, consisting of such other officers and staff to be appointed on such terms and conditions as may be prescribed, and until so prescribed as the Chief Minister may determine.

(2) The Secretary shall perform such functions as provided under this Act or as may be prescribed or assigned by the Board.

5. Functions and powers of the Board.- (1) The Board shall make recommendations and offer its opinion in the following matters:

(a) issues of objectionable literature;

(b) changes relating to the religious topics and contents in the curriculum of the educational institutions;

(d) removal of irritants among various sects;

(e) promotion of interfaith and intersect harmony; and

(f) such other matters as may be referred by the Government.

(2) The Board shall be empowered to:

(a) administer and control Fund of the Board; and

(b) approve accounts and annual statement of the Board.

(3) The Board may delegate its powers under clause (a) of subsection (2) to the Secretary or any officer of the Board.

6. Meeting of the Board.- (1) The Board shall hold atleast four meetings in a year, not less than one in every quarter, on such date and such time as the Chairman may direct.

(2) The quorum of the meeting of the Board shall be at least twelve non-official members of the Board with a fair representation of each Maktaba-e-Fikr.

(3) The decisions of the Board shall be taken by the majority of the members present and voting but in event of equality of votes, the Chairman or the person presiding the meeting shall have a casting vote.

7. Fund.- There shall be a Fund to be known as ‘Muttehida Ulema Board Punjab Fund’ which shall be administrated and controlled by the Board.

8. Budget, audit and Account.- (1) The Secretary shall maintain proper accounts and other relevant records, prepare an annual statement of accounts and submit the same to the Board for approval in such manner and form as may be prescribed.

(2) The accounts of the Board shall be annually audited by the Auditor General of Pakistan.

(3) The Government may conduct or cause to be conducted a special audit of the accounts of the Board.

9. Powers to make rules.- The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules not inconsistent with the provisions of this Act, for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

10. Removal of difficulties.- If any difficulty arises in giving effect to any of the provisions of this Act during one year of the commencement of this Act, the Board may give such directions, not inconsistent with this Act, as it may deem necessary for the removal of such difficulty.

[1]This Act was passed by Provincial Assembly of the Punjab on 05 December 2022; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 14 December 2022; and was published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 16 December 2022, Pages: 2633-35.