Is There a Rise in Violence and Forced Conversions of Minorities in Pakistan?

Islamabad, Aug 20 (NationPress) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has raised a significant alarm regarding a troubling escalation in violence aimed at religious minorities. This comes in the wake of numerous targeted killings of Ahmadiyyas, as well as reports of forced conversions and underage marriages involving Hindu and Christian girls, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh provinces, according to local media sources.

During a seminar held on Tuesday, the HRCP unveiled its report titled “Streets of Fear: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2024/25”, which highlighted a deeply concerning year for religious freedom and minority rights within Pakistan.

According to the report, “Violence against minorities has surged. There have been multiple targeted killings of Ahmadiyyas. In one shocking case, a man was lynched mere meters away from a significant police presence in a bustling market in Pakistan’s largest city. Law enforcement agencies have partially or fully demolished places of worship, despite some being protected by high court rulings. Numerous incidents of severe desecration have been reported across the nation.”

The report further indicates that activists advocating for the rights of Christian and Hindu minorities have frequently expressed concerns regarding the forced conversion of young girls in Punjab and Sindh. Citing numerous cases, the report reveals that the majority of the girls allegedly abducted or lured from their homes were under 18, which clearly “violates the federal and provincial minimum age requirements for marriage.”

In several instances, it was noted that there is a concerning pattern of abducting girls and subsequently coercing them into marriage after their conversion to Islam.

The rights body observed that the trend of non-Muslim minor girls going missing and then reappearing after a few days, having converted to Islam and married Muslim men, has persisted throughout 2024-2025. It underscored that “Hindus in Sindh, who account for 8.8 percent of the province’s population, and Christians, who comprise 1.9 percent in Punjab,” have continually brought this issue to light.

Additionally, the report highlighted the alarming rise in hate speech. Death threats were issued towards the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court following the court's decision to grant bail to an Ahmadiyya individual. An elected senator faced public derision, particularly from some pro-right-wing social media platforms, which also questioned his patriotism when he defended religious minorities. The overt nature of these hateful comments was deeply unsettling.

The HRCP expressed concerns regarding the increasing alignment of the country’s bar associations with extremist religious groups, labeling it a trend that jeopardizes the independence of the legal profession. The report also detailed allegations of collusion by state institutions in cases where numerous young men and women have been ensnared by accusations of blasphemy and extorted.

Reiterating its previous recommendations, the human rights body urged the Pakistani government to urgently establish an independent statutory national commission focused on minority rights, ensuring equal representation for all religious communities.