HRCP calls attention to persistent marginalization of religious minorities
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has noted with alarm the developments during 2021-22 that it says belie the state’s commitment to freedom of religion or belief.
The organization’s report, titled “A Breach of Faith: According to the commission, “Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2021-22,” the rate of forced conversions in Sindh has remained alarmingly consistent. The state has not responded to reports of desecration of religious minorities’ places of worship, particularly when these incidents involve Ahmadi communities.
The Ahmadi community has been further marginalized in Punjab as a result of the requirement to declare one’s faith on marriage certificates. Attempts to enforce a standardized national curriculum have also produced an exclusionary narrative that marginalizes Pakistan’s religious minorities.
In keeping with the spirit of the Supreme Court’s Jillani decision from 2014, the HRCP has reiterated the requirement for a statutory national commission for minorities that is both autonomous and representative. Additionally, it has called for urgent legislation to make forced conversions illegal.
The HRCP has demanded, among other things, that the state implement the National Action Plan and create a national narrative that categorically rejects religious extremism and majoritarianism in order to combat sectarian violence.
In order to prevent individuals from using the laws in question as a means of settling personal enmities, as is frequently the case, the low evidence threshold for blasphemy must be raised.
In addition, the commission has demanded a reexamination of the quotas for religious minorities in employment and education as well as accountability mechanisms to ensure that these quotas are implemented. It has also stated that job advertisements should under no circumstances state that they are only for “non-Muslims” when recruiting sanitation workers.
According to the statement’s conclusion, Pakistan will continue to foster a climate of impunity for perpetrators of faith-based discrimination and violence unless these measures are implemented urgently. This will allow the already-tight space for religious freedom to shrink even further.
