The Pakistan government has dropped a bill meant to protect the interests of its religious minorities on Aug. 9 amid civil society organizations calling for a stronger law to protect basic human rights. The National Assembly, Pakistan’s lower house, passed the draft law — the National Commission for Minorities Bill, 2023 — on Aug. 7.
However, the upper house, the Senate, did not table the bill for discussion on Aug.9, the last session of this government. Get the latest from UCA News. Sign-up to receive our daily newsletter
The bill now faces an uncertain future as the government recommended the dissolution of parliament to help the nation elect a new government within months.
Parliament dropped the bill amid opposition to it from the Joint Action Committee for Peoples Rights (JAC), which includes Muslims and Christians. The committee said the bill does not ensure that the rights body will be “effective, independent, autonomous.”