Constitution upholds fundamental rights of all including minorities: CJP

Constitution upholds fundamental rights of all including minorities: CJP
Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan Mr Justice Gulzar Ahmed, addressing the participants of the Seminar “ Rights of minorities guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan 1973” organised by Implementation Minority Rights Forum on National Minority Day in Islamabad today 11.8.21.

ISLAMABAD, Aug 11 (APP): Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Gulzar Ahmed on Wednesday said that 1973 Constitution was indeed a comprehensive document for basic human and minority rights as its first part envisaged the fundamental rights of all Pakistanis, including minorities.

Addressing the seminar on the National Minority Day, the Chief Justice said that there were some works to be undertaken by the federal government in order to ensure minority rights, as enshrined in the law, were duly observed.

He said that the attorney general was a legal representative of the federal government and he should look into the demands made by the minority communities.

He said that Article 20 of the Constitution envisaged religious and basic freedom to every citizen of the country. He said that every religion in this country was free to establish their places of worship. Article 21 of the constitution gave all religions the right to practice their religion without paying taxes while Article 22 of the Constitution gave all Pakistani citizens the right to education without discrimination, he added.

He said that every citizen of Pakistan was equal in the eyes of the Constitution and the law under Article 25 of the Constitution.

He said that if any feudal lord imperiled anyone from the minority community, the doors of the court were always opened.

On a demand from a minority member regarding oath, the top judge said that according to his knowledge, only Muslims took oaths on the Qur’an in court while minorities took oath on their religious book.

He said that he dealt with several cases of the Hindu community when he was a judge of the Sindh High Court. There was a five percent quota fixed for the minorities in the Pakistan, he added.

Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed said that every citizen was equal regardless of his or her community, religion or nationality under the Constitution of Pakistan.

APP Services