Pakistan’s escalating minority persecution no longer a 'quiet crisis’

Islamabad, May 5 A leading minority rights organisation on Tuesday warned that escalating persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan is no longer a "quiet crisis" but a glaring indictment of both national failure and global indifference.

According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), year after year, reports reflect the same grim pattern: “targeted violence, systemic discrimination, and a justice system that too often turns away from those most in need of protection", with the situation continuing to deteriorate.

Citing the latest findings from the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, the rights body stated that the report reinforced a long-known reality — “Pakistan remains a place where faith can become a fatal liability”. It added that Pakistan’s continued designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) is not merely bureaucratic language — "but a reflection of lived fear, shattered families, and silenced voices.”

The rights body highlighted a more disturbing pattern of forced conversions and marriages involving Christian girls across the country, some of them barely in their teens.

“These are not isolated incidents — they form a recurring narrative of abduction, coercion, and legal erasure. Families are left powerless, often receiving nothing more than an official declaration that their daughter now belongs to another faith and another household. The emotional devastation is immeasurable: parents grieving children who are still alive, yet irretrievably taken," the VOPM mentioned.

Highlighting the persistent threat of mob violence, the rights body said, "Accusations — often unverified — can ignite collective fury within hours. Entire communities live under the shadow of sudden unrest, where a rumour can become a death sentence. The normalisation of such vigilante justice reflects a deeper societal fracture, where the rule of law is overshadowed by fear and fanaticism.”

The VOPM emphasised that the international community faces a moral test, noting that designations like CPC should not be reduced to symbolic gestures.

“If they are to carry weight, they must be accompanied by sustained diplomatic pressure, accountability measures, and tangible support for vulnerable communities. Silence, or worse, passive acknowledgement, only emboldens those who perpetuate these injustices,” it stated.

Asserting that the atrocities against minorities in Pakistan are no longer about global awareness but action, the VOPM said, “Until meaningful pressure is applied and protections are enforced, the cycle will continue: another report, another tragedy, another family broken. And with each passing year, the cost of inaction grows heavier—not just for Pakistan’s minorities, but for the conscience of the world.”

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