Parliament on Tuesday passed by majority a bill seeking to establish a commission tasked with protecting and promoting the rights of non-Muslim communities in Pakistan.
Despite support from the government, the legislation was opposed by several allied and opposition lawmakers, who claimed it infringed upon the anti-Ahmadiyya ordinance promulgated in 1984. Of the joint sitting, 160 lawmakers voted in favor of the bill, while 79 opposed it.
Prior to its passage, the government agreed to certain amendments, including the omission of a clause granting it overriding effect on earlier laws, as well as withdrawing suo motu powers previously proposed for the National Commission for Minorities’ Rights.
The most stringent opposition arose from lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Fazl). Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who tabled the bill, clarified that the legislation did not dilute the anti-Ahmadiyya provisions nor affect any court judgement. “Neither the law nor the Constitution, nor our conscience, allows us to make a proposal that contradicts the holy Quran and Sunnah,” he said.
Recalling that the Constitution had declared Ahmadis as non-Muslims, he said the community had not accepted this and as such did not fall within the ambit of the bill. He noted a Supreme Court ruling on a petition challenging the decision declaring Ahmadis non-Muslims had held that the protection under Article 20 of the Constitution was not available to those who did not recognize their non-Muslim status.
According to Tarar, four amendments were incorporated into the proposed legislation. “This is a commission for non-Muslims. Our Hindu, Christian and Parsi brothers are as good Pakistanis as we are,” he said, noting a 2014 Supreme Court judgement had called for the constitution of a commission for minorities. He stressed the proposed commission would not have punitive powers and would instead send its recommendations to the government.
“Our Christian, Hindu, Parsi, Sikh and other non-Muslim brothers and sisters deserve a forum to address issues—whether forced conversions, job quotas, sanitation workers’ rights or other matters of dignity,” he said.
Opposing voices
During the debate, PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan noted the bill had been placed before the joint session of Parliament after the president returned it with objections. “It should be seen why the president did not give his assent to the bill,” he said. Both he and JUIF Senator Kamran Murtaza objected to Section 35 of the proposed bill, rejecting the overriding effect.
Murtaza said the provision, as well as once granting the commission suo motu powers, should be removed. If these two provisions were omitted, he said, “we could say that this is acceptable.”
JUIF chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman similarly claimed the bill was continuation of “past tricks” of the Ahmadi community, without clarifying. Abdul Qadir Patel of the PPP also opposed the bill, declaring it an insult to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who declared Ahmadis non-Muslims.
Minorities’ Commission
Under the bill, the commission would comprise representatives of all provinces and minority communities, promoting inclusivity and effective oversight. A council of the commission would exercise all powers, perform all functions and do all acts and things assigned to it by the commission.
The 18-member commission would comprise three Hindu members (two from the scheduled castes); three Christians; one Sikh; one member of the Bahai community; one member of the Parsi community; two Muslim members with a human rights background; one representative from each provincial human rights or minorities affairs department; and one minority member from Islamabad.
A four-member parliamentary committee is to be constituted by the National Assembly speaker after consultation with the Senate chairman, consisting of two members from the Senate, preferably non-Muslims, and two members from the National Assembly, also preferably non-Muslims. If the parliamentary committee fails to take a majority decision, the prime minister will appoint the chairperson of the commission.
The joint sitting also passed the National Assembly Secretariat Employees (Amendment) Bill, 2025, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (Implementation) Bill, 2024, the Pakistan Institute of Management, Sciences and Technology Bill, 2023, the National University for Security Sciences, Islamabad Bill, 2023, and the Ghurki Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2025.