HRCP report Streets of Fear exposes worsening religious persecution

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 21 : A seminar organised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has highlighted a disturbing surge in violence against religious minorities over the past year, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

During the event, HRCP launched its latest report, Streets of Fear: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2024/25, which outlines a grim year for religious freedom and minority rights in Pakistan.

The report emphasised an alarming increase in violence against religious minorities, including the demolition of places of worship and the targeted killings of Ahmadis, the post said.

In a disturbing turn of events, two individuals accused of blasphemy were extrajudicially killed by police while seeking protection from violent mobs. These incidents highlight the critical need for reform within law enforcement and stronger accountability measures, it added.

The report also highlighted the growing number of forced conversions and underage marriages of Christian and Hindu girls in Sindh and Punjab, pointing to a systematic failure to enforce child marriage restraint laws, the post noted.

"Meanwhile, the rise in hate speech-ranging from threats against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to public vilification of elected representatives-points to shrinking civic space and emboldened extremist elements," the post stated.

The HRCP expressed deep concern over the increasing tendency of bar associations to adopt positions aligned with extremist religious groups, a trend that threatens the independence and integrity of the legal profession. The report also documented allegations of collusion by state institutions in cases where several hundred young men and women were falsely accused of blasphemy and extorted, the post added.

Despite these challenges, the report noted some limited progress, such as the enactment of the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2025 and the introduction of provincial legislation to establish research-based centres of excellence focused on countering violent extremism.

Among its key recommendations, HRCP called on the federal government to set up an inquiry commission based on the findings of the National Commission for Human Rights regarding the entrapment of individuals in blasphemy allegations, the post added.

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