Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Reports Continued Persecution of Religious Minorities

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) released its seventh annual report, "Sanctuary Denied," highlighting ongoing challenges faced by religious minorities, including Christians, Hindus, and Ahmadi Muslims. The report documents persistent issues such as forced religious conversions, child marriages, and the misuse of blasphemy laws. According to the HRCP, hundreds of individuals remain imprisoned or entangled in legal proceedings due to blasphemy accusations, while organized networks allegedly fabricating these cases have yet to face investigation.

While the HRCP acknowledged the passage of the National Commission for Minorities Act 2025 and new legislation raising the minimum marriage age in Punjab and Balochistan, it expressed concern over the government's failure to implement these protections. Specifically, the commission noted that the National Commission for Minorities has not been formed seven months after the law's enactment. UN experts cited in the report indicated that 75 percent of forced conversion victims in 2025 were Hindu and 25 percent were Christian, with the majority of incidents occurring in Sindh Province. HRCP Director Farah Zia stated that the state's approach toward religious minorities remains increasingly exclusionary.