The Honorable President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari
The Honorable Minister for Law and Justice Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar
Islamabad

1 October 2025

Excellencies,

Open letter: Call for immediate enactment of the National Commission for Minorities’ Rights Bill

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expresses grave concern over the prolonged delay in enacting the National Commission for Minorities’ Rights Bill, which was approved by Parliament on 12 May 2025 and subsequently sent for presidential assent. Nearly five months later, there is still no clarity on why this crucial step has stalled.

Pakistan has long pledged to protect the rights of religious minorities under its Constitution and through international human rights commitments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its obligations under the European Union GSP+ framework. Yet, the absence of a statutory, independent, adequately resourced and inclusive National Commission for Minorities continues to leave communities vulnerable to discrimination, persecution and exclusion.

The bill—as approved—reflects broad civil society consensus. It proposes a non-religiously specific commission mandated to safeguard the rights of all minorities, not only the interests of individual communities. Its membership, which includes representation not only from religious minority communities but also national human rights institutions and human rights experts, has been designed to ensure broad representation. HRCP urges the government, however, to ensure that all religious minorities and sects, especially those consistently marginalized and vulnerable to far-right violence, be given the option to be part of this body beyond mere tokenism.

We urge the government to act with transparency, disclose any recommendations received from the presidency and avoid backpedaling on provisions that have already secured consensus among civil society and minority representatives. The timely enactment and operationalization of this commission are essential to uphold Pakistan’s constitutional guarantees, rebuild trust between citizens and the state, and meet the country’s international human rights obligations. Any further delays risk worsening the climate of exclusion and fear faced by religious minorities.

Asad Iqbal Butt
Chairperson