NA passes National Commission for Minority Rights Bill 2025 amid opposition uproar

Despite 10 year delay on implementing Supreme Court's 2014 orders, govt accused of 'rushing' legislation

The National Commission for Minority Rights Bill 2025 was passed by the National Assembly and Senate in a joint session on Tuesday, despite intense debate. The landmark legislation aims to protect the rights of non-Muslims and establish a dedicated commission for minorities.

The bill is part of a decade-long effort to implement the Supreme Court’s 2014 directive for a special commission to safeguard minority rights. Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, who moved the bill, said, “The bill was delayed for 10 years and politics should not influence it”. He added that the passage of the bill marks a historic step towards formalising minority rights protections in Pakistan.

According to the bill, the commission will consist of 16 members. Each of the four provinces will nominate two minority members. One member will represent Islamabad, nominated at the discretion of the Chief Commissioner. Three members will come from existing bodies — the National Commission for Human Rights, the National Commission on the Status of Women, and the Child Rights Commission — nominated by their respective chairpersons. Officials from the Ministry of Law, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Human Rights at Grade 21 will also serve on the commission. Members and the chairperson must be at least 35 years old, with the chairperson required to have experience in human rights.

Read: 2014 verdict on minorities yet to be implemented: SC

The session saw heated exchanges over the longstanding issue of minority protections and the Qadiani community. Minister Tarar stressed that the bill aimed to implement the Supreme Court directive and assured lawmakers that no legislation would contravene the Quran and Sunnah.

Clause 35 of the bill, pertaining to the Qadiani community, was withdrawn. The JUI-F-led amendment to remove the clause, presented by Alia Kamran, was passed by majority vote. Minister Tarar assured lawmakers that the commission would uphold the Constitution and that no legislation would contravene the Quran and Sunnah.

Kamran Murtaza highlighted the potential conflict with previous protections for Qadianis, while Senator Noorul Haq Qadri and Qadir Patel emphasized that the bill should not be misused against any community.

Murtaza warned that Clause 35 could undermine existing safeguards for Qadianis. Tarrar responded that the Constitution recognises Qadianis as non-Muslims and agreed to remove the clause. Senator Noorul Haq Qadri clarified that PTI and JUI-F had no objections regarding Hindus, Sikhs, or Christians, but the Qadiani community remained a sensitive issue. Qadir Patel added, “No law should be enacted that could be misused, and accountability will be on the Day of Judgment.”

Opposition leaders, including Maulana Fazlur Rehman, criticised the 27th Constitutional Amendment, saying it failed to meet democratic requirements and had created social divisions. He recalled that even under Bhutto in 1973, negotiations were held before amendments were passed.

Read More: Two more bills to protect minorities' rights on cards

Fazlur Rehman expressed concerns about following Western models and said, “Today, we are following the path of the Jews and Christians,” calling for the Constitution to be corrected and mistakes to be reversed.

Raja Nasir Abbas highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing human rights challenges and questioned the hurried pace of legislation, while Fazlur Rehman warned that the debate risked reopening old controversies.