Minorities in Pakistan continue to face violations of fundamental rights, misuse of blasphemy laws, forced marriages and conversions, and discriminatory practices, the country’s human rights body said.
In its seventh annual report, titled “Sanctuary Denied: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2025/26”, released on Thursday, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) highlighted that scores of individuals accused of blasphemy remained in legal limbo, while alleged perpetrators of an organised entrapment network were yet to be investigated.
According to the report, girls belonging to Christian and Hindu communities continue to face abductions and forced marriages, compounded by poverty and inadequate police responses. “Discriminatory employment practices, the distortion of school curricula and the marginalisation of minority concerns in mainstream media further undermine the principle of equal citizenship,” it said.
The report called upon the federal and provincial Governments to publish annual, disaggregated data on “blasphemy cases, mob violence, forced conversion complaints and prison conditions” to improve transparency and enable independent scrutiny of official claims. Given the severity of blasphemy charges, it recommended that investigations under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code be conducted by senior-ranking officials.
It also urged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to enact legislation setting the minimum marriageable age at 18 for both men and women, bringing the province in line with laws recently adopted in Punjab and Balochistan.
The HRCP recommended prompt legal action against “extremist” individuals and groups inciting violence, mandatory training for police and investigative agencies, including the Federal Investigation Agency, on freedom of religion or belief, and stronger safeguards for human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists working on minority rights.