'Incomplete' implementation of 2014 court verdict on minorities lamented.

LAHORE -- Speakers at a conference on the 8th anniversary of the landmark judgment regarding minorities' rights regretted that implementation was largely missing.

They urged the government to attend to directives issued on June 19, 2014 by then Chief Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani.

According to the data sheet issued by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ), a Supreme Court bench had conducted 28 follow-up hearings that passed 80 supplementary orders to the federal and provincial governments for implementation of seven original orders given in 2014. The orders were about establishing a national council (commission) for minorities, developing a curriculum for peace, implementing job quotas, curbing hate speech, inculcating social and religious tolerance, and penalising human rights abuses against religious minorities.

The speakers underlined that although the quality of implementation improved after the one-man-commission was constituted by the Supreme Court, yet the overall compliance is lagging far behind.

Speaking on the occasion, CSJ executive director Peter Jacob observed that the federal and provincial governments had achieved 22 per cent compliance in eight years after this verdict was passed by the apex court means that full compliance will require 24 years of wait.

He refuted the claim of the federal ministry of education before the apex court that the curricula textbooks were compliant with article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Retired Justice Nasira Iqbal said: 'Eight years since the passing of the jillani judgment, and we are still waiting for its implementation. It is the responsibility of the government to implement court orders and address serious issues that minorities face in Pakistan.'

She said the judgment underlined the equality of rights for all irrespective of faith, therefore, the government must develop...