Reconstitution of NCM deliberated

ISLAMABAD: The sixth meeting of National Commission for Minorities (NCM) was held here on Thursday and deliberated the reconstitution of National Commission for Minorities, its chairman, members, their tenure, perks and privileges, qualifications, etc.

Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Sardar Muhammad Yousaf chaired the meeting.

The meeting endorsed that the NCM should be autonomous. The minimum age limit of chairman should be 35 years, every school of thought should be given representation. Chairman should have a tenure of three years.

The commission should have a chairman including seven official members and 11 private members on honorary basis.

The meeting also perused the National Commission for Interfaith Harmony, Bill 2015.

The meeting was told that three MNAs had already prepared three identical Bills including, ‘The Commission for Minorities Bill, 2015’, moved by Ms Beelum Hasnain MNA, ‘The Commission for Minorities Bill, 2015’, moved by Lal Chand Malhi and ‘The Commission for Minorities Bill, 2016’, moved by Sanjay Perwani, MNA.

A meeting would be held on April 11 or 12 with the three MNAs to deliberate incorporating the private bills with the official Bill, National Commission for Interfaith Harmony, Bill, 2015.

The chairman ordered expediting the process of acquiring 28 Kanal land for establishing Pakistan Centre for Interfaith Harmony.

He directed CADD representative to send reminder to CDA for allotting the land for establishing the centre and report within a period of one week.

The meeting was attended by MNAs Ms Asiya Nasir, Bishop of Lahore Irfan Jamil, Professor Mehardad Yousaf, Allama Muhammad Asghar Khan Askari, the representatives of Interior, Law, Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD), Religious Affairs Ministries, high ranking officers of Council of Islamic Ideology.

Earlier, Ms Asiya Nasir MNA, a member of NCM urged the meeting to offer ‘Dua’ for the departed souls of Christians, who were martyred in Quetta on Monday last. Bishop Irfan Jamil lead the ‘Dua.’