Islamabad : Parliamentarians (MPs) have called for the immediate operationalisation of the National Commission for Minority Rights (NCMR) under the National Commission for Minority Rights Act to ensure effective protection of religious minorities in Pakistan.
The demand was made during the second meeting of the Parliamentary Working Group (PWG) on Minority Rights, organised by the Parliamentarians Commission for Human Rights (PCHR) in Islamabad.
Speaking at the opening session, PCHR Executive Director Chaudhry Shafique said that although the recent passage of the NCMR Act marked a significant legislative milestone, its true impact depended on the swift activation of the commission.
He stressed the urgent need for framing rules of business, appointment of the chairperson and members, and ensuring representation of diverse religious communities, adding that parliamentary oversight would be crucial in this regard.
Rana Qasim Noon, Federal Minister and Chairman Parliamentary Kashmir Committee, said the Federal Constitutional Court’s verdict in the Maria Shahbaz versus Additional Sessions Judge case could have far-reaching implications for cases involving forced marriages and religious conversions of minority girls.
He said the government was committed to safeguarding minority rights and any loopholes in the law would be addressed through legislation. MNA Dr Mehreen Bhutto said the Pakistan Peoples Party had always advocated for minority rights and consistently played an active role in parliament whenever issues concerning religious minorities were raised.
“Minorities should not consider themselves alone, as we stand with them on every forum,” she said. MNA Ms Shahida Rehmani said parliamentarians were closely reviewing the Maria Shahbaz judgment and emphasized that all political parties must unite to address legal loopholes. She added that Islam strongly emphasized the protection of minority rights and failure to ensure these rights amounted to negligence in fulfilling obligations towards humanity.
MNA Naveed Amir Jeeva criticized the judgment, saying the alleged disregard of National Database and Registration Authority records regarding the girl’s age was difficult to understand.
“If we fail to acknowledge our own institutional records, their credibility at both local and international levels will be undermined,” he said.
MNA Ms Huma Chughtai said the verdict had created fear among religious minorities, adding that addressing these concerns was a collective responsibility. MNA Asiya Naz Tanoli called for the formation of an immediate working group and greater consultation among stakeholders to create a stronger collective voice for minority rights. Senator Kamran Michael said statements recorded before magistrates were often treated as strong evidence, while child marriages were not explicitly declared void under existing laws.
MNA Zahra Wadood Fatimi also urged the immediate activation of the commission to ensure effective delivery of minority rights protections. Participants also agreed on the need for stronger legal safeguards concerning consent, age verification, and voluntariness in religious conversions to curb child marriage and forced conversions.
