Bill for protection of temples, churches and gurdwaras moves to PA secretariat

LAHORE: The Punjab government has submitted a draft bill aimed at safeguarding temples, churches, gurdwaras, and other places of worship belonging to minority communities.

The Bill for the Protection of Joint Properties of Minorities, 2026, was forwarded to the Punjab Assembly secretariat and seeks to declare organizations working for minority welfare—receiving government or foreign funding—as joint properties.

Under the legislation, a provincial action committee will be established to protect these properties. The committee will be chaired by a Punjab Assembly member from a minority community, appointed by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

Key officials, including the secretaries for human rights and minority affairs, and law and parliamentary affairs, will also serve on the panel.

Other members will include a senior Board of Revenue (BoR) official, the deputy inspector general of police for Punjab, and six minority representatives, including a woman. The committee will maintain records of minority joint properties, monitor misuse, prevent unauthorized occupation, and oversee any construction on these properties.