In Pakistan, every citizen has the right to profess and practice their respective faiths: CJP Umar Ata Bandial  

ISLAMABAD, August 17 (SABAH): An eight member delegation of Sikh community, headed by Samuel Payara (Chairman, Implementation Minority Rights Forum), comprising Baba Makhan Singh, Baba Gurpal Singh, Dr. Sahib Singh, Sardar Bishan Singh, Amrik Singh, Kaka Singh, Satnam Singh and Dharam Singh paid a courtesy call on the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Umar Ata Bandial, at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad on Thursday.

Chief Justice of Pakistan welcomed the delegates and felicitated them on Minorities Day. His lordship briefed them about the rights of minorities as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973. He further added that in Pakistan, every citizen has the right to profess and practice their respective faiths. He termed the courts in Pakistan as the custodian of the fundamental rights of the people, which have always been cognizant of the rights of minorities and have delivered judgments to enforce, implement and address issues faced by minorities in Pakistan. Considerable strides have been made to safeguard the religious properties of the minorities, in particular the Christian and Hindu communities.

The delegation apprised the Chief Justice of Pakistan about the Sikh history and various issues, including their security and protection of their religious properties. The Chief Justice termed the safeguard of minorities rights as the fundamental duty of the state and assured the delegates of taking up the matter with the concerned authorities. He stressed upon a collective resolve and effort to address the prevailing myriad challenges being faced by the country.

The delegation presented a souvenir of a golden Kirpan to the Chief Justice of Pakistan as a token of respect and gesture of goodwill.