Pakistan SC to constitute special bench for minority rights

The Pakistan Supreme Court has decided to constitute a special bench for the implementation of its 2014 judgement on the protection of minority rights and promotion of a culture of religious and social tolerance.

Subsequently, a three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial, on Thursday referred the matter to Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa for his consideration to constitute the implementation bench, reports Dawn news.

The bench had taken up a case relating to the rights of minorities and asked the federal and provincial governments to furnish before the court monthly reports highlighting steps taken to ensure the rights of the minorities.

In what was billed as a verdict that may correct the course of increasing intolerance, hate and bigotry in society, the Supreme Court had in 2014 directed the law enforcing agencies to promptly register criminal cases for desecrating the places of worship of minorities or on violation of any of their rights guaranteed under the law.

The verdict had come on a suo motu initiated on the September 22, 2013 Peshawar church bomb attack in which 81 persons were killed.

On Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Ramesh Kumar Vankwani informed the apex court that none amongst the minorities had been appointed chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board, contrary to earlier directives of the court, adding that still 15 to 23 members of the ETPB were Muslim.

The court, however, told Vankwani that being in the government he should have fulfilled the demands through the government.