Minorities in Pakistan face discrimination, violence, legal constraints: Report
Islamabad: Pakistan’s persecution of religious minorities has again drawn global attention amid an entrenched pattern of discrimination, violence, and institutional neglect, a report said on Tuesday.
Citing observers, a report in Khalsa Vox highlighted how minorities in Pakistan — including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadis and others — continue to face social marginalisation, targetted attacks, and legal restrictions that curtail their freedom to practice religion openly and safely.
“Incidents of forced conversions, attacks on places of worship, and misuse of blasphemy laws have been repeatedly reported, contributing to an atmosphere of fear and insecurity among non-Muslim communities,” it stated
“The victimisation of communities”, the report said, “ belonging to various faiths has long been documented by rights groups and acknowledged in international discussions, raising serious questions about the country’s commitment to protecting minority rights.”
According to the report, while Pakistan continues to raise concerns over minority rights in other countries, critics contend that such statements fail to address its own internal problems and are used to deflect attention from domestic human rights violations at home.
“Rights advocates argue that meaningful improvement in Pakistan’s minority protections would require legal reforms, stricter enforcement against hate crimes, and a broader societal shift toward tolerance and inclusion. Until then, they say, Pakistan’s abysmal record on safeguarding its minorities is likely to remain a recurring subject of international concern and criticism,” the report noted.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Monday categorically rejected Islamabad’s remarks on violence against minorities in India, highlighting Pakistan’s abysmal record of persecuting religious minorities.
“We reject the reported remarks from a country whose abysmal record on this front speaks for itself. Pakistan’s horrific and systemic victimisation of minorities of various faiths is a well established fact. No amount of finger pointing will obfuscate it,” read a statement issued by the MEA on the remarks made by the spokesperson of the Pakistani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Last month, India had slammed Pakistan over its statements on flag hoisting at Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Ayodhya, conveying strongly and clearly that Islamabad has no moral standing to lecture others, considering that the country holds a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression and systemic mistreatment of its minorities.
Addressing a weekly media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that Pakistan should instead focus on its own abysmal human rights record.
When asked about Pakistan Foreign Ministry’s statement on flag hoisting at Ram Janmabhoomi Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya, Jaiswal responded, “We have seen the reported remarks and reject them with the contempt they deserve. As a country with a deeply stained record of bigotry, repression, and systemic mistreatment of its minorities, Pakistan has no moral standing to lecture others. Rather than delivering hypocritical homilies, Pakistan would do better to turn its gaze inwards and focus on its own abysmal human rights record.”