A group of non-Muslim senators have written a letter to Senate Chairman Yousaf Raza Gilani for the formation of a minority caucus in the House to represent their rights, it emerged on Friday.
A caucus refers to a formal or informal group within Parliament or provincial assemblies, often focused on specific issues or the interests of particular groups. At present, the most prominent one in the Senate is the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus (WPC), a cross-party forum for women parliamentarians to address issues related to women, girls and gender equality.
The letter dated July 24, seen by Dawn.com, was signed by Senator Khalil Tahir Sandhu (PML-N, Punjab), Senator Gurdeep Singh (PTI, KP), Senator Poonjo Mal Bheel (PPP, Sindh), and Senator Danesh Kumar (BAP, Balochistan) and addressed to the chairman Senate.
“We, the undersigned non-Muslim members of the Senate of Pakistan, respectfully submit this joint request for the activation and formal recognition of the minority caucus within the Senate, and for our inclusion as its founding members,” the letter said.
The senators said in the letter that they were encouraged by the effective functioning of the WPC, which had successfully provided a platform for women legislators to collaborate across party lines on issues of national importance. “Inspired by this model, we believe that a minority caucus would serve a similarly vital role in promoting the rights and welfare of religious minorities in Pakistan.”
They said as elected representatives of minority communities, they are “committed to contributing constructively to national dialogue, legislative reform, and policies that foster religious harmony, inclusion, and equal citizenship.”
The lawmakers said a “formal minority caucus would help institutionalise this work, facilitate coordination among stakeholders, and amplify the voices of marginalised communities.”
They requested Chairman Gilani to issue a notification on the formation of the caucus and include all four non-Muslim Senators as its founding members.
In April, the Senate Subcommittee on Human Rights approved a bill to establish a commission on minority rights in accordance with United Nations and international standards and regulations.
The commission would “assess and monitor [the] implementation of the constitutional guarantees and safeguards for promotion and protection of rights of minorities”.
It would also review existing or proposed policies or programmes to prevent discrimination and protect minorities, and provide recommendations to the relevant departments.
The commission established by the prime minister will consist of 13 members, including two minority members from each province.
Human rights groups both in Pakistan and across the world have called on the government to protect the rights of minorities. The government declared August 11 as National Minorities Day to highlight their religious and socio-economic rights.
