HRCP expresses concerns on newly formed minorities’ commission

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Saturday expressed reservations on the formation of National Commission for Minorities through a cabinet decision based on a summary moved by the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony.

In a statement, the HRCP said that the proposed composition smacks of partisanship and, above all, as a non-statutory body, the commission is no substitute for the national council for minorities’ rights envisioned by the Supreme Court’s historic Tasadduq Jillani judgment of 2014.

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“In the current composition, the number of serving bureaucrats and representatives of the majority community undermines minority representation,” the statement said. “The HRCP has long demanded that a statutory national council or commission for minorities be set up in the spirit of the 2014 judgment.”

The group added, “While we call on the government to enact such a body as soon as possible, we also urge the government to heed the latest report submitted to the Supreme Court by the Shoaib Suddle commission, which has alleged that the ministry for religious affairs has been less than forthcoming in implementing the 2014 judgment. The onus is on the state to deliver through a suitable Act of Parliament.”

On May 5, the Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri had announced the composition of the commission after the federal cabinet’s decision. Qadri had said the commission would be headed by Chela Ram Kewlani, a Hindu businessman and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Sindh leader, and would also include three members each from the Hindu and Christian communities.