<p>Islamabad: Pakistan parliament on Tuesday passed a landmark bill to protect the rights of non-Muslims and establish a dedicated commission for minorities.</p><p>Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar moved the National Commission for Minority Rights Bill 2025 which was passed by the National Assembly and Senate in a joint session after intense debate.</p><p>“The bill was delayed for 10 years and politics should not influence it,” Tarar said on the occasion, adding that the passage of the bill marks a historic step towards formalising minority rights protections in Pakistan.</p><p>According to the bill, the commission will consist of 16 members. Each of the four provinces will nominate two minority members. One member will represent Islamabad, nominated at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner.</p><p>Three members will come from existing bodies — the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women, and the Child Rights Commission — nominated by their respective chairpersons.</p><p>Officials from the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Human Rights at Grade 21 will also serve on the commission. Members and the chairperson must be at least 35 years old, with the chairperson required to have experience in human rights.</p>.Pakistan claims relief operations for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka ‘hampered by lack of cooperation’ by India.<p>The session saw heated exchanges over the Qadiani community, who were declared as non-Muslims through an act of parliament in 1974.</p><p>Later Clause 35 of the bill, pertaining to the Qadiani community, was withdrawn after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza moved an amendment.</p><p>He highlighted the potential conflict with previous protections for Qadianis and warned that Clause 35 could undermine existing safeguards for Qadianis.</p><p>The Qadianis minority community is often targeted by extremists.</p><p>The bill is part of a decade-long effort to implement the Supreme Court’s 2014 directive for a special commission to safeguard minority rights.</p><p>The commission's mandate is to monitor implementation of constitutional and legal protections for minorities, review existing or proposed laws/policies for discriminatory effect, and investigate complaints of rights-violations.</p>
<p>Islamabad: Pakistan parliament on Tuesday passed a landmark bill to protect the rights of non-Muslims and establish a dedicated commission for minorities.</p><p>Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar moved the National Commission for Minority Rights Bill 2025 which was passed by the National Assembly and Senate in a joint session after intense debate.</p><p>“The bill was delayed for 10 years and politics should not influence it,” Tarar said on the occasion, adding that the passage of the bill marks a historic step towards formalising minority rights protections in Pakistan.</p><p>According to the bill, the commission will consist of 16 members. Each of the four provinces will nominate two minority members. One member will represent Islamabad, nominated at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner.</p><p>Three members will come from existing bodies — the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women, and the Child Rights Commission — nominated by their respective chairpersons.</p><p>Officials from the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Human Rights at Grade 21 will also serve on the commission. Members and the chairperson must be at least 35 years old, with the chairperson required to have experience in human rights.</p>.Pakistan claims relief operations for cyclone-hit Sri Lanka ‘hampered by lack of cooperation’ by India.<p>The session saw heated exchanges over the Qadiani community, who were declared as non-Muslims through an act of parliament in 1974.</p><p>Later Clause 35 of the bill, pertaining to the Qadiani community, was withdrawn after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Senator Kamran Murtaza moved an amendment.</p><p>He highlighted the potential conflict with previous protections for Qadianis and warned that Clause 35 could undermine existing safeguards for Qadianis.</p><p>The Qadianis minority community is often targeted by extremists.</p><p>The bill is part of a decade-long effort to implement the Supreme Court’s 2014 directive for a special commission to safeguard minority rights.</p><p>The commission's mandate is to monitor implementation of constitutional and legal protections for minorities, review existing or proposed laws/policies for discriminatory effect, and investigate complaints of rights-violations.</p>