Federal Cabinet withdraws inclusion of Qadianis in NCM

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday has withdrawn the decision to include Qadianis in the National Commission for Minorities (NCM).

During the meeting, the federal cabinet has approved the formation and composition of the National Council for Minorities.

Talking to media, after the meeting, Federal Religious Affairs Minister Noorul Haq Qadri said Chela Ram Kewlani, a Hindu businessman and PTI leader in Sindh, would be the chairman of the council.

He further said there will be three members each from the Hindu and Christian communities. The Sikh community will be represented by two members and there will be a member each from the Kalash and Parsi communities.

Qadri further said Mufti Gulzar Ahmed Naeemi and Maulana Abdul Khabir Azad would be the Muslim members of the body, he added.

The chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology would be the ex-officio member of the council, he added. The religious affairs and interfaith harmony ministry’s secretary will serve as the ex-officio secretary of the body.

In 2014, the Supreme Court had asked the federal government to form a national council for minorities’ rights.

The court also asked the government to form a special task force for the protection of the places of worship of minorities.