Justice AR Cornelius conference: Minister wants to see jurists from minorities in higher judiciary

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights Azam Nazir Tarar has expressed his aspiration for judges from minority communities to join the country’s higher judiciary.

Speaking at the Justice A. R. Cornelius Conference, held at a local hotel on Saturday, he emphasized the importance of religious freedom and minority rights in Pakistan. The event was organised by the Bright Future Society and Implementation Minority Rights Forum Pakistan.

Tarar highlighted that Pakistan’s Constitution guarantees complete religious freedom, aligning with Islamic teachings on the rights of minorities. He mentioned the ongoing efforts to establish a Minority Rights Commission and proposed reserving quotas for minority law officers and legal advisers.

Tarar praised Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani for his landmark decisions benefiting the minorities, and lauded Justice Cornelius for his legacy of equal justice.

Supreme Court judge Mansoor Ali Shah, speaking at the conference, also expressed his wish to have minority judges in the judiciary as he called for co-existence and tolerance in society.

“There is only one flag in the world where you [minorities] are reflected. This white colour represents you. I also say that crescent and star are also white. All these things represent you. We must understand that you are recognised in the national flag.”

The senior puisne judge mentioned that Pakistan’s population comprises 96pc Muslims, 1.6pc Hindus and Christians each, and one per cent Sikhs, Buddhists and Zoroastrians. He lamented that the country ranked at the bottom of the religious segment in the Freedoms House Report by the European Union in 2023.

“It was observed that despite prosecutorial religious freedom guarantees, religious minorities have not been provided an effective safeguard against discriminatory legislation, social prejudice, and sectarian violence.

“Pakistan’s religious freedom conditions remain on a negative trajectory with religious minorities subject to frequent attacks and threats including the accusation of blasphemy, targeted killings, lynching, mob violence, forced conversions, desecration of houses of worship and cemeteries,” the apex court judge said while quoting the report.

Justice Shah called for changing such situations and to work according to the Constitution. He reiterated that Muslims and minorities have the same rights. “We need to protect them [minorities]. We need to come out positively and do something about it.”

While mentioning a verse from the Holy Quran, he interpreted that the freedom of belief and religious faith should be a matter of personal conviction without coercion. He also spoke about the Constitution of Madina, which called for a pluralistic society.

Speakers at the conference paid tribute to Justice Cornelius and discussed the constitutional protections for minorities. They highlighted impactful career of Justice Cornelius and the 2014 Supreme Court guidelines under Justice Jillani aimed at safeguarding minority rights.

The conference concluded with distribution of certificates among distinguished guests, attended by prominent figures including Justice Dr Syed Muhammad Anwar, Justice Ali Baqar Najafi and Justice (retd) Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, among others.