Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A minorities’ representative on Monday stressed the need for the formation of a National Commission for Non-Muslim Pakistanis’ Rights, which would help make recommendations for an effective implementation of the safeguard and protection of minorities’ rights.

The proposed commission may conduct studies, research and analysis on the issues relating to socio economic and educational development of minorities. It would also suggest appropriate measures with respect to any minority to be undertaken by the government. These suggestions were discussed during the National Assembly Sub-Committee on Religious Affairs and Inter-Faith Harmony meeting, which was held on Monday in the Parliament House with Member of the National Assembly Ali Muhammad Khan as the convener.

The committee discussed three bills namely The Commission For Minorities Bill, 2015 moved by Beelam Hasnain, The Commission for Minorities Bill 2015 moved in detail by Lal Chand Malhi and The Commission for Minorities Bill 2016 moved by Sanjay Perwani.

Briefing the committee, the mover Lal Chand Malhi said that the head of the proposed commission chief should be from minorities because they could understand their issues properly. He regretted that in the government proposed law of National Commission on Interfaith Harmony, the federal minister for religious affairs was its chairman.

Additional Secretary Religious Affairs & Inter-Faith Harmony Muhammad Ashraf told the committee that the government had already established the National Commission on Minorities in July 1990, which was still functioning.

He also informed the committee that the Supreme Court in June 2014 directions asked the government to establish a National Council of Minorities, which should work for protecting the rights of minorities in the country. In this regard, the additional secretary said the government had started consultation with provinces and other stakeholders, which were still in progress. He also claimed that Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had established the Minority Commission while Punjab and Sindh could not.

He also claimed that the government bill was more comprehensive as compared to these three private member bills.

MNA Ali Muhammad Khan told the committee that whenever a private member bill was presented to the government, the government in turn decided to wake up and present its own bill with a view that it was in final stages. He asked from the movers and ministry officials that it would be appropriate to club all the three private bills along with the government’s and make a comprehensive bill, which would be acceptable to all law makers.

The committee expressed their reservations that during the last four year, the existing law National Commission on Interfaith Harmony held four meeting only.

The Representative of Law Ministry told the committee that in the private member bill, the members from Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit Baltistan and Federally Administered Tribal Areas were included but these were outside the jurisdiction of the federal government. He also said that the proposed law could not be implemented in the country because it was a devolved subject.

Ali Muhammad Khan said that the passage of the 18th Constitutional Amendment was great success but sometimes it created hurdles in the implementation of some laws across the country and termed it a major drawback. He asked the ministry of religious affairs and the movers to sit together and make a comprehensive law which should be acceptable to all. He also said that the name of the new law should be National Commission for Non-Muslim Pakistanis Rights. Within 15 days it should be finalised and it would be presented in the main committee for approval, the convener concluded.

Published in Daily Times, April 3^rd 2018.