KARACHI: The Sindh Minorities Rights Commission Bill, 2015, which awaits final approval of the governor after being unanimously passed by the Sindh Assembly, is seen by many as a step in the right direction though minority rights activists fear hurdles in its effective implementation.

Appointments based on political affiliation and lack of interest in its implementation can render minorities rights commission toothless, they point out. According to the bill, an 11-member commission will be constituted by the Sindh government to protect the rights of the non-Muslim community. The private bill, tabled by Pakistan Muslim League-Functional parliamentary party leader Nand Kumar, carries a Supreme Court order dated June 19, 2014 in which the chief justice of Pakistan had directed the federal government to ensure protection of places of worship of minorities. The SC had directed the federal government to create a special police force to protect the places of worship.

Speaking to Dawn, Pakistan Sikh Council patron-in-chief Sardar Ramesh Singh said the passage of the bill was good news for the non-Muslim population of Sindh, but a lot would depend on the commission member who would be appointed by the Sindh government. “It is important for the eventual appointments of the members of the commission to be based on merit. If not, this will be another law that looks good on paper without any practical implication,” added Mr Singh.

For instance, he said, the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2013, which was passed by the provincial assembly in 2014, was far from being enforced properly. “Becoming the first province to raise the minimum marriageable age for girls to 18, when it was passed it seemed that cases of child marriages would come to the fore. However, there has been no news on that front neither from the civil rights organisations nor police stations across Sindh which in itself was a cause for concern,” he added.

For Mr Singh, some major issues which needed immediate attention pertained to discrimination. “These cases don’t get reported a lot due to the fear of getting caught in other sensitive terrain such as blasphemy,” he said.

“I understand the necessity of implementing a law once it is passed in the assembly,” said PML-F lawmaker Nand Kumar.

“Our top priority is to ensure merit-based appointments with representation from all communities to ensure proper working of the commission we aim to establish. Also, it’d take time.

“It took three years to get this bill passed from the assembly. So, we’d need help from civil society organisations and lawyers to guide us for better implementation,” he added.

Tushnamaity Patel, a representative for the Parsi community on the minority committee, said the passage of the minorities rights commission bill was a timely step. “Yes, there have been problems in the past regarding implementation of such laws. But I believe the chief minister of Sindh is better equipped, and will personally look into it, to ensure security and safety to a diverse community of non-Muslims in Sindh,” she added.

Amarnath Motumel, a member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and staunch supporter of minority rights in Sindh, said such a commission “was sorely needed”. Explaining, he said the ongoing issues, such as attacks on places of worship, instances of desecration of holy books, and forced conversions, required a well-rounded approach to resolve it or, at least, address it. “The unanimous passage of the minorities bill is a progressive step, and, honestly, makes me positive for the future. But my reservations are regarding the appointment of officers to the commission. As long as the appointees are people who know issues of the non-Muslims and are in touch with them, there would be no problem about proper implementation of the law,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2016