Pakistan passes Bill to protect minorities, set up rights commission

Pakistan's Parliament has approved a long-pending bill to strengthen protections for minority communities and create a statutory commission to oversee their rights and address discrimination

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In a joint session on Tuesday, Pakistan’s Parliament passed the long-awaited National Commission for Minority Rights Bill, 2025, aimed at strengthening protections for minority communities and establishing a statutory body to safeguard their rights.

 

The bill was supported by 160 members, while 79 voted against it, according to Pakistani newspaper Dawn.

 

Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, who presented the legislation, said the move was overdue. “The bill was delayed for 10 years and politics should not influence it,” he said, calling its passage “a historic step” towards formalising the protection of minorities in the country. 

Why did the debate turn contentious over provisions on the Qadiani community?

The debate over the bill grew heated over provisions concerning the Qadiani community, which was declared non-Muslim by Parliament in 1974. Clause 35, which related to the community, was eventually removed after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl senator Kamran Murtaza moved an amendment. He argued that the clause could clash with earlier protections and risk weakening the existing legal position, reported news agency PTI. The Qadiani community has frequently been targeted by extremist groups.

 

"Neither the law and the Constitution, nor our conscience allows us to make a proposal that contradicts the Quran and Sunnah," Tarar said during the proceedings, as quoted by Dawn. "This is a commission for non-Muslims. Our Hindu, Christian and Parsi brothers are as good Pakistanis as we are," he added.

 

What prompted the legislation, and what earlier ruling does it trace back to?

The legislation stems from a significant Supreme Court ruling in 2014 that called for establishing a specialised commission to ensure the protection of minority rights.

 

How will the new commission be structured under the bill?

Under the legislation, the new commission will have 16 members. Each province will nominate two representatives from minority communities, while Islamabad will appoint one member through the Chief Commissioner.

 

Three further members will be drawn from existing national bodies, namely the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women and the Child Rights Commission. Senior officials from the ministries of law, religious affairs, interior and human rights will also serve on the body, reported PTI.

 

What will the commission do once it is constituted?

Once constituted, the commission will be responsible for monitoring how constitutional and legal safeguards for minorities are implemented, examining current and proposed laws for discriminatory effects, and reviewing complaints of rights violations, the report added.