Lawmakers urge swift rules to operationalise minority rights commission

ISLAMABAD: Federal and provincial lawmakers from religious minority communities, along with legal experts and civil society representatives, have called on the government to move quickly to make the National Commission for Minority Rights (NCMR) functional by framing rules in line with the spirit of the NCMR Act, 2025.

The demand was made at the end of a two-day National Deliberative Forum on Minority Rights, according to a statement issued on Thursday. Participants said prompt implementation of the law was necessary to protect the rights of faith-based communities across Pakistan.

The forum, titled

Strengthening the National Commission for Minorities: From Enactment to Effective Implementation.

brought together more than 22 minority legislators from the National Assembly and provincial assemblies. It was organised by the Trust for Democratic Educational and Accountability (TDEA).

During the discussions, participants examined the legislative background of the NCMR Act, reviewed its strengths and shortcomings, and considered a framework for drafting subordinate legislation. They also discussed the proposal to create a cross-parliamentary minority caucus aimed at improving coordination on issues affecting minority communities.

Implementation and institutional autonomy highlighted

Speaking at the closing session, European Union Ambassador to Pakistan Raimundas Karoblis said the EU-Pakistan Strategic Engagement Plan reflected a shared commitment to tolerance, interfaith harmony and inclusion. He described the passage of the NCMR law as a positive development, but said its effectiveness would depend on implementation, sufficient resources, representative leadership and institutional autonomy.

Minister of State for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Kheal Das said the government was working on an interfaith harmony policy and intended to establish the commission within the next two months. He also appreciated the forum for bringing together minority lawmakers from across the country to discuss shared concerns.

Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Anthony Naveed described the forum as a useful initiative that allowed legislators to present the concerns of minority communities in an organised way. He supported the idea of an inter-parliamentary caucus, saying it could help address minority-related issues, uphold constitutional supremacy and reinforce provincial autonomy.

He also underlined the importance of post-legislative scrutiny to determine whether laws were producing meaningful results.

Calls for inclusive rule-making

Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs Ramesh Singh Arora said the provincial government would give proper consideration to the recommendations emerging from the forum. He said minority rights remained a priority and shared plans to set up a provincial caucus, while noting that implementation remained the central challenge.

Dr Sham Sundar, Special Assistant to the Sindh Chief Minister on Minority Affairs, stressed the need for coordination among stakeholders to ensure constitutional protections for minorities.

Participants described the NCMR Act as a landmark development, but said structural issues could reduce its effectiveness if they were not addressed in the rules. They called for a consultative and inclusive process for framing the rules, with safeguards for the commission’s financial and operational independence and a framework rooted in constitutional guarantees.

They also said the final rules should carry the same democratic legitimacy as the law itself.