Placing Minority Rights Under HR Ministry Crucial: Experts
News Desk
Islamabad: The establishment of a National Commission for Minorities’ Rights (NCMR) is essential to ensuring participatory democracy and safeguarding human rights, a roundtable consultation hosted by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has concluded.
Politicians, legal experts, media professionals, civil society organizations (CSOs), and representatives from human rights institutions participated in the consultation, emphasizing the urgent need for an independent and autonomous body to address systemic discrimination against minorities.
The consultation highlighted that Pakistan’s democratic transition requires robust legislative oversight, creation of new institutions, and performance monitoring of the government and opposition. Participants unanimously stressed that an independent NCMR could counteract majoritarian biases entrenched in state policies.
Senator Farhatullah Babar criticized the dominance of bureaucrats in existing commissions and argued that the NCMR should exclusively include representatives from minority communities. He urged that the proposed body be placed under the Ministry of Human Rights, not the Ministry of Religious Affairs, which he said is preoccupied with administrative matters like Haj.
Peter Jacob, Executive Director of CSJ, welcomed the Federal Cabinet’s recent approval of a draft bill but called for expert and CSO consultation to ensure the commission’s autonomy and adherence to human rights principles, free from government interference.
Dr A.H. Nayyar, a human rights defender, proposed limiting the commission’s membership to a maximum of 15 representatives from minority groups to ensure operational efficiency. He also recommended excluding oversight of the Evacuee Trust Property Board from its mandate to focus solely on safeguarding human rights.
Structural Autonomy in Question
Senator Babar and other participants noted that none of Pakistan’s statutory commissions, such as the National Commission on Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women, and the National Commission on the Rights of the Child, comply with the globally recognized Paris Principles.
This shortcoming denies them voting rights in international forums like the UN Human Rights Council. The NCMR must be aligned with these principles to ensure its autonomy and global legitimacy, they argued.
Legal Framework
Advocate Aneeque Zia, Director of Legal Affairs at the International Monitoring Commission, reiterated that affiliating the NCMR with the Ministry of Human Rights is crucial to maintaining independence and compliance with constitutional and international obligations.
Similarly, Sheherazade Amin, a Human Rights Lawyer, underscored the commission’s role in monitoring constitutional and legal safeguards for minorities and urged timely action by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Parliamentary Push
Amir Naveed Jeeva, a National Assembly member who previously introduced a private bill on the issue, briefed participants on his ongoing efforts to advance the legislation.
The consultation concluded with a strong call for immediate and meaningful action to establish the NCMR, ensuring it is empowered to function as a vital institution for upholding the rights of Pakistan’s minorities.
The government’s next steps will reveal its commitment to addressing long-standing systemic inequities faced by marginalized communities.
