Commission Seeks Police Recommendations To Ensure Minorities' Rights Protection

The One-man Commission on Implementation of Minorities Rights, constituted by the Supreme Court, on Thursday sought recommendations of all the provincial police departments on the implementation of the apex court verdict to ensure protection of minorities' rights

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 18th Feb, 2021 ) :The One-man Commission on Implementation of Minorities Rights, constituted by the Supreme Court, on Thursday sought recommendations of all the provincial police departments on the implementation of the apex court verdict to ensure protection of minorities' rights.

Commission head Dr Shoaib Suddle chaired a meeting of the Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) of all the provinces, including Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), and Additional IGP from Islamabad Capital Territory Police to review the matters pertaining to forced conversions and marriages of non-Muslim girls, and implementation of paragraph 37 of the SC's Minority Rights Judgement in the suo motu case (SMC) 1 of 2014.

Dr Suddle said the forced conversions of religion and marriages were mostly taking place with Hindu and Christian girls in Punjab and Sindh, which were damaging the country's image at the global level.

He called for a separate data of such crimes from the provincial police departments so that recommendations could be formulated for proper legislation.

A foolproof mechanism should be devised in order to ensure proper age determination of the victim girls, he stressed.

Dr Suddle asked the IGPs to modify investigation patterns and official hierarchy leading investigation process in the matter of forced conversions and marriages of minority girls.

He said in case of forced marriages, there should be thorough investigation to verify whether the girls had given their consent willingly or through coercion.

Dr Suddle also directed the police high-ups to take steps for curbing hate speech and material related to minorities, filling vacant positions on minorities' quota in their respective departments, and raising a dedicated force in their domains for the protection of minorities' religious places.