Supreme Court takes exception to separate commission for minorities

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday took an exception to the separate commission formed by the government for minorities and summoned Secretary Religious Affairs and Secretary Education on the next date of hearing along with a comprehensive report on the matter.

A three-member SC bench headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard the suo motu notice on minority rights. The court wondered as to how the government formed a separate commission for minorities which it had already constituted.

SC Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed asked deputy attorney general regarding the issue to which he also expressed astonishment. “The CJP observed that government can form as many commissions as it wants, but it cannot swindle with a judicial commission.”

It is pertinent to mention here that last year, a three-member bench of the apex court had constituted one-member commission under the leadership of Dr Shoaib Suddle for the enforcement of its orders.

A four-member committee has also been formed. Other than Dr Suddle, Saqib Jillani, Dr Rumesh Kumar and an additional attorney general will be its members. In May, this year, the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony had notified the reconstituted National Commission for Minorities and its terms of reference, which include ensuring that worship places of non-Muslim communities are preserved and kept in a functional condition.

Belonging to a business family from Jamshoro, Chela Ram Kewlani, ex-president of Pakistan Hindu Council and a leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Sindh, has been notified as chairman of the new commission.

According to the ministry’s notification, the commission will have six official and 12 non-official members including the chairman for a term of three years.

Among these 12 members of the commission for minorities, two are Muslim, three belong to the Hindu and Christian communities each, two members of Sikh community. The Parsi and Kalash communities of the country will be represented by one member each in the commission.

On Thursday, the court after expressing dissatisfaction with the report, submitted by Ministry of Religious Affairs, summoned the secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs to inquire about the formation of the new commission.

The court also summoned Judicial Commission chief Dr Shoaib Suddle on the next hearing as well. Later, after the interval, the court was informed that the official could not appear as he was in Karachi.

Justice Ijazul Ahsen, another member of the bench, asked Joint Secretary Arshad Farid, to submit a comprehensive report containing all the information. Similarly, Justice Faisal Arab, another member of the bench, observed that the commission should ensure work according to its mandate.

Earlier, at the outset of hearing, minority leader and PTI MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar Vankwani maintained that the Federal Minister for Human Rights Shirin Mazari and Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri did not work on the Minority Act, adding that the provinces cooperated but the federation and the Ministry of Religious Affairs did not. Meanwhile, the court adjourned the hearing until October.