Colombo, Jan 7 (NationPress) Religious minorities in Pakistan are subjected to systematic discrimination and are often ensnared by false blasphemy accusations, mob violence, targeted killings, land appropriation, forced conversions, arbitrary detentions, and destruction of property, including their places of worship, according to a detailed report.

On December 26, 2025, a 15-year-old Hindu girl named Premi Bhil was abducted from the Sindh province, forcibly converted to Islam, and given the new name Kulsoom Sheikh. She was then married to a man over 30 years old who was already married. On December 6, 2025, armed men kidnapped a Hindu woman and her minor daughter from the Sher Shah area of Karachi, as reported by the Sri Lanka Guardian.

In a similar incident, on December 5, 2025, Pastor Kamran Salamat was shot dead by armed assailants in Punjab's Gujranwala. This marked the second targeted attack on Salamat, who had previously survived a shooting in September of the prior year.

On October 10, 2025, an Ahmadi place of worship, Bait-ul-Mehdi, was attacked during Friday prayers in Chinab Nagar, Punjab, injuring at least six worshippers. On August 8, 2025, a mob assaulted approximately 80 Christian families in Sahiwal, Punjab. Many victims subsequently faced accusations under the Anti-Terrorism Act and suffered police brutality.

A report from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom's Annual Report, 2025, highlighted that out of Pakistan's estimated population of 252 million, 96.5% identify as Muslim (85-90% Sunni and 10-15% Shia), leaving only 3.5% belonging to other religious communities such as Christians, Hindus, and Sikhs.

The report stated, "Religious minorities in Pakistan endure systemic discrimination and are victims of harassment, false blasphemy charges, physical assaults, lynchings, mob violence, targeted killings, land grabs, forced conversions, arbitrary detentions, and destruction of their properties, including places of worship and cemeteries."

Between January 2021 and December 2024, 421 cases of abduction and forced conversion of minority girls and women were documented in Pakistan, as per the 'Human Rights Observer 2025' released by the UK's Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) in April of the previous year. Victims included 282 Hindu girls, 137 Christian girls, and 2 Sikh girls.

Numerous incidents of mob violence associated with blasphemy have occurred in Pakistan over the last decade, often resulting in the lynching of the accused. Notable incidents include the 2021 lynching of Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana, a Christian citizen of Sri Lanka, and the 2023 lynching of Muhammad Waris at a police station in Nankana. The lack of effective rule of law and the culture of impunity surrounding these lynchings foster a climate where such actions are perceived as normal.

The report further indicated, "Places of worship for minorities face neglect and destruction. A report presented to the Parliamentary Committee on the Minority Caucus revealed that out of 1,285 Hindu temples and 532 Sikh gurudwaras, only 37 remain functional, indicating a stark lack of active places of worship for minorities. Many temples and gurudwaras have been repurposed as schools, shops, restaurants, government offices, or private residences."

For instance, on April 12, 2024, a historic Hindu temple in the Landi Kotal Bazaar of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province was demolished to construct a commercial complex. Incidents of violence against places of worship are frequent; on January 3, 2020, a mob attacked Gurudwara Nankana Sahib, the birthplace of Guru Nanak and one of the holiest sites for Sikhs, threatening to destroy the site and rename it.