London: A high-level session held at the UK Parliament’s Committee Room 7 has brought renewed international attention to the ongoing religious persecution of minorities in Pakistan. Organized by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB), the event highlighted harrowing evidence of systemic abuses allegedly backed by the Pakistani state and military.
The session underscored that the persecution of minorities in Pakistan including Hindus, Christians, Shia Muslims, and Ahmadis is not limited to fringe extremist elements but is part of a state-sponsored apparatus of oppression, operating with impunity under the protection of powerful political and military institutions.
Key Findings Presented:
1. Forced Conversions and Abductions of Minority Girls
Between 500 to 1,000 Hindu and Christian minor girls are abducted annually, particularly in Sindh province, and forcibly converted to Islam. These cases are reportedly tied to religious shrines and clerics with political and military protection.
2. Attacks on Religious Sites
Numerous incidents of temples and dharamshalas being attacked or burned were highlighted as part of an organized effort to instill fear and drive out minority populations.
3. Sectarian Violence
Shia Muslims, Ahmadis, Christians, and Hindus face widespread violence, often with law enforcement either complicit or inactive, creating an environment of terror and impunity.
4. Mass Displacement of Minority Communities
Thousands of minority families are being forced to flee Sindh each year due to rising extremism and fear. The 2023 rocket attack on a Hindu temple in Kashmore was cited as one of several examples of escalating violence.
Prominent Voices at the Session:
- Jim Shannon MP, UK Parliament
- Julie Jones, Director, APPG on International Law and FoRB
- Fleur Anderson MP
- David Smith MP, Special Envoy Representative
- Kiran, Representative, Shhrine Organization
- Sohail Abro, Chairman, Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement (JSFM)
- Morris Johns, Christian Community
- Fareed Ahmed, Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
- Representatives from Jammu & Kashmir Global British League (JKGBL):
- Ayub Iqbal
- Shoaib Ahmed
- Hasam Rafique
- Hamza Aurangzeb
Participants presented detailed reports, testimonies, and data documenting the severity of the crisis.
Recommendations Made:
- International condemnation of Pakistan’s state-backed religious persecution.
- Independent investigations into forced conversions, child abductions and attacks on places of worship.
- Sanctions under the UK Magnitsky Act against Pakistani officials and military actors involved.
- Inclusion of Pakistan’s record in the UN Human Rights Council and the UK’s annual Freedom of Religion or Belief report.
The session closed with a resounding call for urgent international action, warning that silence and inaction only embolden the perpetrators of these crimes.
“This is not just a domestic issue for Pakistan, it is a matter of global human rights,” said one speaker. “The time for diplomatic courtesy is over. Accountability must begin.”
