The National Commission for Minorities’ Rights Bill 2025 represents a landmark step in Pakistan’s legislative response to the protection of religious minorities. This legislation operationalizes a judicial vision first articulated in the 2014 Supreme Court judgment authored by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani, widely regarded as the most authoritative statement on minority rights in Pakistan’s legal history. Delivered in the aftermath of the Peshawar church attack, the judgment emphasized that Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees equal citizenship and freedom of religion to all non-Muslim communities. Justice Jilani highlighted that these constitutional rights required practical institutional mechanisms to ensure their effectiveness. Among the key directives was the establishment of a National Council for Minority Rights, tasked with monitoring violations, promoting tolerance, and advising on policy reforms.

The 2025 Bill fulfills this directive by creating a permanent statutory body, the National Commission for Minorities’ Rights (NCMR), thereby transforming the Supreme Court’s recommendations into binding law. This institutionalization reflects recognition that minority protection cannot rely solely on constitutional guarantees or ad hoc government interventions. Instead, it requires an independent and formal mechanism capable of oversight, policy recommendations, and advocacy. Although there are already some human rights commissions working in the country, these permanent institutional arrangements, backed by an Act of Parliament, will hopefully bring positive changes for minorities.

Under the law, the NCMR is designed to function as both a watchdog and an advisory body. Its responsibilities include ensuring the enforcement of constitutional safeguards, reviewing legislation and policies that affect minority communities, investigating complaints of discrimination or abuse, requesting........

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