NA assured protection of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat laws in minority rights legislation

ISLAMABAD, Aug 12 (APP): Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar assured the National Assembly that all laws pertaining to Khatm-e-Nabuwwat would remain fully safeguarded in any future legislation concerning minority rights, reaffirming the government’s unwavering commitment to preserving constitutional and religious principles while ensuring the protection of minority communities.
Responding to a concern raised by MNA Ali Muhammad Khan, the minister assured the legislators that the recently passed Minorities Rights Commission Bill would not impact the sanctity or enforcement of existing laws on Khatm-e-Nabuwwat, including the Anti-Qadianiat Ordinance of 1984.
Minister said that the bill had been examined clause by clause by a special Senate committee chaired by Senator Ali Zafar and comprising both legal experts and minority members. He stressed that the commission, once established, would have no criminal or prosecutorial powers and would only perform fact-finding and grievance redress functions relating to minority rights.
Tarar clarified that the overriding effect of the bill applied only within its limited mandate and did not override or dilute any existing provisions of laws related to the finality of Prophethood. He said the bill was fully in line with Article 20 of the Constitution, as interpreted by the Supreme Court, which upheld restrictions on Qadiani community members from propagating their beliefs.
Referring to landmark judgments, including the 1992 larger bench ruling and subsequent Supreme Court decisions, the minister said the judicial interpretations had firmly preserved the scope of relevant laws, leaving no room for any legal instrument to undermine them.
He reiterated that the government’s belief in and commitment to the finality of Prophethood was unwavering, and no legislation could be construed in a manner that would compromise it. “If there are still concerns, I am available to sit with all stakeholders, including religious scholars and parliamentary colleagues, to review the matter further,” he said.