Rights Groups Warn Against Ineffective National Commission for Minorities

News Desk

Lahore: The Peoples Commission for Minorities’ Rights (PCMR) has raised concerns over the government’s plan to establish another National Commission for Minorities that lacks real power, warning that it will fail to address the systemic marginalization of religious minorities in Pakistan.

PCMR asserts that the proposed commission, if constituted similarly to previous ineffective bodies, will not serve its intended purpose of ensuring the meaningful inclusion of minorities in policy-making.

In a joint statement issued by Peter Jacob, Chairperson of PCMR, Justice (R) Kailashnath Kohli, Dr A H Nayyar, and Michelle Chaudhry, provincial heads for Punjab and Balochistan, the group emphasized the importance of an independent commission with strong, competent leadership and the ability to operate autonomously.

The representatives pointed out that the failure of previous minority commissions, which lacked the capacity to address grievances, underscored the necessity of a functional and powerful body for minority rights.

The PCMR members also criticized the inclusion of unnecessary representatives from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) in the proposed commission, warning that such a move would dilute its effectiveness and contradict the principles of equality and fairness.

They stressed that the Constitution of Pakistan does not suggest a role for the CII in matters concerning religious minorities, and urged the government to avoid creating further controversy by involving the CII in the commission’s structure.

The PCMR called for the commission to be vested with powers equivalent to those of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) to ensure that it can operate effectively and impartially.

Additionally, they demanded that the government consult with relevant rights organizations, as the commission will be responsible for safeguarding human rights.

The group further insisted that the commission adhere to the Supreme Court’s 2014 directive on the inclusion of minorities in policy-making, delivered by Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.

The PCMR’s statement underscores the need for genuine reform, not another symbolic body, to truly integrate religious minorities into Pakistan’s political and social fabric.