ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan , while announcing verdict regarding protection of rights of minorities, has ordered federal government to set up a special council for preparing recommendations regarding protection of rights of minorities in the country.
Three-member bench of Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Tasadduq Jilani on Thursday conducted hearing of the case regarding protection of rights of minorities in country.
The court ordered government to establish task force for protection of sacred places of minorities and religious harmony. The Apex Court also directed the federal and provincial governments to ensure implementation of job quota for the minorities in government jobs.
The court asked the government to take action against those who spread religious hatred on social media.
The function of the national council should be to monitor the practical realization of the rights and safeguards provided to the minorities under the constitution and law, stated the decision.
The council would also be mandated to frame policy recommendations for safeguarding and protecting minorities’ rights by the provincial and federal governments.
The apex court also ordered the formation of a special task force to protect minorities’ worship places, saying, “Special Police Force be established with professional training to protect the places of worship of minorities.”
The proposed task force would devise a strategy to ensure protection of minorities’ rights. In the detailed 32-page decision, Chief Justice ordered federal and provincial governments to ensure a quota of minorities in employments in all services.
The order further stated that law enforcement agencies should swiftly take action on cases pertaining to the rights of minorities. Lives and possessions of minorities are to be protected as per law, it said.
“In all cases of violation of any of the rights guaranteed under the law or desecration of the places of worship of minorities, the concerned Law Enforcing Agencies should promptly take action including the registration of criminal cases against the delinquents,” said the chief justice.
The federal government was also ordered to take notice of negative propaganda in this regard on social media.
“The federal government should take appropriate steps to ensure that hate speeches in social media are discouraged and the delinquents are brought to justice,” mentioned the decision.
Chief Justice said that offence against any religion to be dealt under blasphemy law.
The apex court also ruled that social and religious tolerance is needed to be taught on school and college levels. There should be no discrimination in educational institutes on religious basis.
“Appropriate curricula should be developed at school and college levels to promote a culture of religious and social tolerance,” said the Chief Justice.
It is pertinent to mention here that the said rulings were made in the detailed decision on a suo moto case pertaining to the suicide bomb attack on a church in Peshawar in 2013 that had claimed 80 lives and regarding threats being given to Kalash tribe and Ismailies in Chitral.
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