Perilous Plight: Minorities in Pakistan Under Siege

Amjad Ayub Mirza, a prominent activist from Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, has delivered a blistering critique of the Voice of Minority's May 2025 report. The document outlines the worsening conditions for religious minorities in Pakistan, especially Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, and Ahmadis, within the country's majoritarian framework.

Mirza pointed accusatory fingers at Pakistan for fostering a culture of impunity bolstered by blasphemy laws, alleging that these laws give Muslims a 'licence to kill.' He referenced Section 295 of the Pakistan Penal Code to illustrate how mere accusations of blasphemy could lead to arrests, lynchings, or capital punishment, citing notorious cases like those of Asiya Bibi and the assassinations of Punjab Governor Salman Taseer and Christian minister Shahbaz Bhatti.

The May 2025 report documented at least 43 incidents of religious persecution, including targeted violence against Hindus in Sindh's Mirpur Khas and assaults on Christian women in Lahore. Alarmingly, six attacks occurred against the Ahmadiyya community in areas like Kasur and Sialkot. These were reportedly perpetrated by bar associations, Tehreek-e-Labbaik, and police officers, Mirza noted. Instances of forced conversions, notably of young minority girls, were rampant, and reports from the Sindh Assembly indicated that Hindus were coerced into consuming beef, violating their religious beliefs.

The persecution, Mirza argued, extends beyond physical violence. He highlighted the systematic exclusion of minorities from essential sectors like civil services, education, and politics, relegating them to low-wage sanitation jobs and underserved neighbourhoods. Even places of worship, such as temples and churches, face vandalism and illegal occupation. The media often overlooks minority festivals like Diwali and Christmas.

Mirza concluded that the persecution of minorities is not incidental but ingrained within the ideological framework of Pakistan's state structure. 'In Pakistan, being a Christian or a Hindu is treated like a crime,' he asserted.

(With inputs from agencies.)