ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari signed the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill, 2025, into law to protect, empower, and advance the rights of the country’s religious minority communities.
President Zardari on Wednesday accorded his assent to various important legislative bills on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, following their passage by both houses of Parliament, state-run Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Wednesday.
Protecting minorities
The president assented to the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill, 2025, which aims to protect, empower, and develop religious minority communities across the country through various measures.
The joint sitting of Pakistan's parliament had passed the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill, 2025, on Dec. 2, according to Radio Pakistan.
The bill was moved by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, who stated that its purpose is to safeguard the rights of non-Muslims.
He said the constitution of Pakistan also provides for the rights of non-Muslims. The minister mentioned that the Supreme Court in 2014 had directed the formation of a commission to protect the rights of non-Muslims.
Based on the new law, a dedicated statutory body will be established to protect, promote, and empower non-Muslim religious minority communities, fulfilling the Supreme Court's directive to ensure the protection of their constitutional rights, freedom of religion, and equal citizenship through policy-making, grievance redressal, and monitoring of the implementation of minority safeguards.
President Zardari also signed into law the Qanun-e-Shahadat (Law of Evidence) (Amendment) Bill, 2025, as well as the King Hamad University of Nursing and Associated Medical Sciences Bill, 2025, the APP reported.
However, he returned the Daanish Schools Authority Bill, 2025, to the prime minister for reconsideration, given the need for provincial consultation.
In his observation, President Zardari stated that prior consultation with the relevant provincial governments was inevitable for the establishment of Daanish Schools in the provinces.
