The Committee has taken into consideration all the suggestions which had been made in the Sub-Committee on matters relating to Minorities as well as our suggestions made before this Committee and has after careful consideration and through deliberation arrived at the conclusions which are given in the Annexure and which the committee recommends to the Assembly for acceptance.
The Committee has authorized me to place on record their appreciation of the valuable assistance which the members of the Committee received from Mr. K. Ali Afzal, Joint Secretary of the Constituent Assembly, and the members of the Staff of the Constituent Assembly Secretariat who were associated with the work of the Committee.
ANNEXURE
RECOMMENDATIONS
PARTI
SAFEGUARDS FOR MINORITIES
The following safeguards should be provided for the Minority Communities of Pakistan:
1. Representation in the Legislatures.- The Minority Communities of Pakistan specified below shall be represented in the Central Legislature and the Legislatures of the federating Units of Pakistan through separate electorates for everyone of them:
Scheduled Castes,
Hindus other than Scheduled Castes,
Buddhists, and
Pakistani Christians including Anglo-Pakistani Christians:
Provided that the question whether any community in view of its small number is or is not entitled to be represented in a particular Legislature and the quantum of representation for such a community is a matter to be determined by the Franchise Committee.
2. Safeguards for language, etc.- Any minority residing in the territory of Pakistan or any part thereof having a distinct language, script or culture of its own shall not be prevented from conserving the same.
3. Safeguards in respect of educational institutions. - The State shall not, in granting aid to educational institutions, discriminate against any educational institution merely on the ground that it is mainly maintained by a religious minority.
4. Portfolios for Minority Affairs:— There shall be a Minister for Minority Affairs both at the Centre and in the Provinces to look after the interests of the minorities and to see that the safeguards provided in the Constitution for the minorities are duly observed.
