ISLAMABAD: Member of the National Assembly, Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, has introduced a bill in the National Assembly (NA) seeking to establish the National Commission for Minorities.
The bill, presented to the Secretary of the National Assembly Secretariat, delineates that the National Commission for Minorities will consist of thirty members representing diverse religious communities.
The chairperson of the commission will be selected from the non-Muslim minority community. Dr. Ramesh Kumar, speaking to the media, stated that the primary objective behind instituting the National Minority Commission is to uphold the rights of minority communities as mandated by the Constitution of Pakistan. While the commission’s headquarters will be in Islamabad, it reserves the flexibility to establish additional offices in various regions of the country as required.
A selection committee, chaired by a retired Supreme Court judge appointed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, will oversee the competitive recruitment process for the head of the Minority Commission.
Dr. Ramesh Vankwani’s persistent efforts led to the National Assembly’s approval of the bill during the previous government’s term.
However, due to the conclusion of the National Assembly’s tenure, its progress was stalled in the Senate. Dr. Ramesh Kumar expressed his renewed commitment to advancing the cause of minority rights by reintroducing this bill. The Supreme Court’s landmark decision on June 19, 2014, urged the government to establish a minority commission, adding historical significance to this endeavour. —APP
