Pakistan's law minister bats for judges from minority communities to join higher judiciary

Lahore: Pakistan's Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar has advocated for judges from minority communities to join Pakistan's higher judiciary.

Speaking at the Justice A R Cornelius Conference held here on Saturday, Tarar emphasised the importance of religious freedom and minority rights in Pakistan and expressed his aspiration for judges from minority communities to join the country's higher judiciary, the Express Tribune newspaper reported on Sunday.

The minister highlighted that Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees complete religious freedom. At the same time, he lamented the decline in religious tolerance post-Afghan war.

Tarar talked about the ongoing efforts to establish a Minority Rights Commission and proposed reserving quotas for minority law officers and legal advisors.

Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah echoed Tarar’s sentiments and advocated for the appointment of minority judges to the higher judiciary.

According to data released by the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics in 2021, there are 96.47 per cent Muslims in the country, followed by 2.14 per cent Hindus, 1.27 per cent Christians, 0.09 per cent Ahmadi Muslims and 0.02 per cent others.