The Minorities Alliance Pakistan and allied organisations have urged the federal government to introduce sweeping constitutional reforms to strengthen protections for religious minorities, women and children as lawmakers prepare the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment Bill. Advocates said the package is aimed at ending structural discrimination and improving minority rights across state institutions.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad, MAP Chairman Akmal Bhatti warned that Pakistan cannot claim to be a truly pluralistic democracy while non-Muslims remain barred from key offices, reserved seats lack direct electoral legitimacy, and children remain vulnerable to forced conversions and early 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,” Bhatti told reporters.
The reform proposals include a prohibition on the religious conversion of any person under the age of 18 without free and informed consent recorded before a judicial magistrate, amendments to Articles 41(2) and 91(3) to remove religious qualifications for the offices of President and Prime Minister, and changes to Articles 51 and 106 so that seats reserved for non-Muslims and women in the National Assembly and provincial assemblies are filled through direct elections. The package also seeks a constitutional guarantee of a minimum five percent quota for religious minorities in federal and provincial government services and public educational institutions by amending Article 27.
MAP representatives argued that the proposals align with Articles 20, 25, 35, 36 and 37 of the Constitution and with Pakistan’s international obligations under the ICCPR, CRC and CEDAW. International activist Joseph Janssen welcomed the initiative, calling it an important step toward genuine equality of citizenship. He noted that tangible reform would also support Pakistan’s commitments under trade-linked human rights frameworks such as the EU GSP+ scheme.
Janssen urged stronger legal protections to eliminate child marriage, including strict age verification requirements before any marriage is registered, verified documentary proof of age such as CNICs and NADRA birth records, and where records are unavailable, medical examinations by government-appointed Medical Boards that protect the dignity and privacy of the child. He added that any uncertainty in age determination should be interpreted in favour of treating the individual as a child.
Other speakers at the event included Rawadari Tehreek Chairman Samson Salamat, Pakistan Minorities Alliance Chairman and former Punjab MPA Tahir Naveed Chaudhry, and Minorities Rights Movement President Robin Daniel. MAP urged the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms to hold broad consultations with minority communities, legal experts and civil society before finalising amendments, warning that constitutional change without inclusive participation risks deepening alienation.
The proposals are expected to prompt robust political and public debate as the 28th Constitutional Amendment Bill moves forward. MAP representatives say the changes can be implemented through existing institutions and legal frameworks without imposing a significant additional financial burden on the state, while strengthening minority rights and democratic representation across Pakistan.
