Implementation of SC judgment sought for minorities’ rights

LAHORE : Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) Saturday urged authorities concerned to ensure implementation of Supreme Court of Pakistan verdict on the rights of minorities in Pakistan.

In this regard, the CSJ held a press conference and exposed to the media challenge of the SC verdict compliance. Justice (retd) Nasira Iqbal, Peter Jacob of CSJ, Saroop Ijaz advocate, Saqib Jillani advocate and Michelle Chaudhry urged the government to concentrate on directives issued on 19 June 2014 by then Chief Justice of Pakistan Tassaduq Hussain Jillani. The speakers underlined that although the quality of implementation had improved after the one-man-commission was constituted by the SC yet overall compliance was being awaited.

Peter Jacob, executive director of CSJ, observed the federal and provincial governments had achieved 22 percent compliance in eight years. He said the SC judgment faced challenges of non-implementation due to lack of good governance, indifference towards human rights, and the plight of minorities amongst legal duty-bearers. Michelle Chaudhry, President Cecil and Iris Chaudhry Foundation observed that the National Commission for minorities and taskforce on minorities constituted through notifications and resolutions in May 2020.

HRCP demands economic stability: The governing council of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed its concern at the alarming polarisation in political discourse, which is detrimental to the cause of democracy, supremacy of parliament and constitutionalism on concluding its biannual meeting on Saturday. A press release issued Saturday by the HRCP said, it is equally concerned about the ensuing economic instability, the runaway inflation and the threat of food insecurity that are disproportionately impacting the working and middle classes. Punjab, the country’s biggest province, stays in a political limbo.

The state must uphold people’s rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly instead of retaliating with unwarranted violence.