The Minorities Alliance Pakistan, in the presence of the representatives of minority rights organizations, has called on the government to introduce sweeping constitutional reforms aimed at strengthening protections for religious minorities, women, and minors in the proposed twenty-eighth Constitutional Amendment Bill.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, MAP Chairman Akmal Bhatti said that Pakistan could not claim to be a truly pluralistic democracy while constitutional provisions continued to exclude non-Muslims from the country’s highest offices, limit direct democratic representation for minority communities, and fail to adequately protect children from forced conversion and child marriage.
“The time for symbolic gestures is over. What is needed now are structural reforms that guarantee equality before the law and equal opportunity for all citizens,” he stated. The reform package presented by the Minorities Alliance includes proposals to prohibit religious conversion of any person under the age of 18 without free and informed consent recorded before a judicial magistrate. They called for amendments to the Article 41(2) and the Article 91(3) of the constitution to remove religious qualifications for the offices of president and prime minister.
In addition, the Minorities Alliance urged lawmakers to amend Articles 51 and 106 to introduce direct elections for seats reserved for non-Muslims and women in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies. The organization proposed a constitutional guarantee of a minimum five percent quota for religious minorities in federal and provincial government services and public educational institutions through amendments to the Article 27.
The representatives argued that the proposals were fully consistent with Articles 20, 25, 35, 36, and 37 of the constitution, as well as the country’s obligations under human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). They said that the proposed reforms would not place a significant additional financial burden on the state and could be implemented through existing institutions and legal frameworks.
Rawadari Tehreek Chairman Samson Salamat, Pakistan Minorities Alliance Chairman and former Punjab lawmaker Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, and Minorities Rights Movement President Robin Daniel also spoke on the occasion. Rights activist Joseph Janssen welcomed the initiative, calling it a significant step towards strengthening constitutional equality and protecting vulnerable communities. He described the initiative as a constructive effort to address long-standing human rights concerns affecting religious minorities, and other vulnerable population.
He stated that the proposed reforms represent an important opportunity to move towards genuine equality of citizenship under the law, particularly highlighting protections against forced conversion of minors and the introduction of direct democratic representation for minority communities. He noted that strengthening such legal and constitutional safeguards would be consistent with Pakistan’s international commitments, including its obligations under the Europe’s GSP+ trade scheme, which requires effective implementation of core human rights conventions such as the ICCPR, CRC, CEDAW, and others.
“Pakistan’s continued progress under frameworks like GSP+ depends on meaningful and measurable improvements in human rights protection. These reforms, if implemented, would send a strong signal of compliance and commitment to international standards,” Joseph Janssen added. He emphasized that Pakistan should prioritize comprehensive reforms to eliminate child marriage by strengthening legal protections and enforcing strict age verification mechanisms before any marriage was registered. According to him, authorities should require verified documentary proof of age, including CNIC, NADRA-issued birth certificates, and other officially recognized records.
In cases where documentary evidence is unavailable or disputed, courts should order medical examinations conducted by the government-appointed medical boards under procedures that protect the dignity and privacy of the child. Any uncertainty in age determination should be interpreted in favor of treating the individual as a child. “These measures would represent a meaningful shift towards ‘aligning’ legal framework with human rights standards and ensuring greater protection for vulnerable children,” Joseph Janssen said.
The Minorities Alliance urged the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms to hold broad public consultations with the minority communities, legal experts, and civil society organizations before finalizing the constitutional amendment package. Akmal Bhatti said that the constitutional reform without the voices of those most affected would only deepen alienation. The proposed reforms are expected to generate significant political and public debate as Pakistan moves towards consideration of another constitutional amendment.
