ISLAMABAD: A bill against forced conversions tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday was sent to the standing committee after getting support from the Minister of Law Farogh Naseem.
The bill was moved by PPP’s minority member Amir Naveed Jeeva.
“Everyone has right to change the religion by heart,” he said.
The mover of the bill when told the house, he wanted to table a bill against forced conversions, law minister Farogh Naseem responded that it is a basic issue, no one in the house would have any problem with it. “We have to sit and discuss this problem,” Naseem further said.
The proposed legislation was sent to the concerned standing committee of the house.
The forced conversion became a high pitched issue in the public space after two Hindu girls from Ghotki recently converted to Islam.
A number of the minorities groups asked the federal government to enact immediate laws against the rising issue of forced conversions in the country.
A symposium participated by various human rights groups asked the government to undertake the responsibility for comprehensive legislation against the issue.
They asked the centre and the provinces, to establish an autonomous Minority Rights Commission in order to properly address the issues of the country’s minorities.