Pakistan: Concerns raised over religious discrimination, misuse of blasphemy laws and forced conversions

Islamabad, May 5 The International Religious Freedom (IRF) Roundtable Pakistan held a consultation, where concerns were raised over the continued patterns of religious discrimination, blasphemy laws misuse, forced conversions, forced marriages and the targeting of minority women and children.

During the event, the participants reviewed the current status of religious minorities in Pakistan. Faith leaders, human rights advocates, journalists, and civil society representatives called for stronger protections for Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, and religious minority communities, Illinois-based legal news website National Law Review shared.

"As faith leaders, human rights advocates, and citizens of Pakistan, we believe there must be no discrimination on the basis of religion," said Kashif Mirza, a Karachi-based internationally recognised human rights activist and Pakistan Director of the IRF Roundtable.

"Children have become among the worst victims of religious discrimination. This must stop. Pakistan must protect every child, every woman, and every minority citizen equally under the law," Mirza added.

During the consultation, the participants spoke about the recent legislative developments, including the introduction of minority-rights and communal-property protection bills in Punjab and the passage of the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025 by Pakistan’s Parliament in 2025. However, they stressed that legislation must be implemented on the ground and demanded accountability.

IRF Roundtable Pakistan co-chair Anila Ali - a native of Pakistan, author, and women rights advocate - also demanded urgent action to end forced conversions and forced marriages in the country.

"Any change of religion or belief must be truly free from coercion, and marriage must be based on full and free consent," Ali stated while urging Pakistan to protect minority girls, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that the law never rewards abduction, coercion, or abuse.

During the meeting, the participants also echoed concerns raised by international religious freedom experts, who have warned of widespread patterns of kidnapping and forced religious conversion through marriage impacting women and girls from minority communities in Pakistan. They voiced concern over the misuse of blasphemy laws, including reports that hundreds of people have been falsely accused through blackmail, intimidation and extortion.

IRF Roundtable Pakistan urged Pakistan government to address the issues of forced conversion and forced marriage, including gender inequality, poverty, social exclusion, discrimination against religious minorities, religious intolerance, weak enforcement of the law and the pattern of impunity that enables such abuses to continue.

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