Minorities facing persecution, repression in Pakistan

Lahore [Pakistan], May 5 : The minority community in Pakistan has been facing persecution and repression at the hands of state and non-state actors.

Not only the Hindus, Christians and Sikhs but Shias and Ahamdiyyas also are facing continuous suppression.

On April 26, a large number of people belonging to minority communities gathered outside the Lahore Press Club to protest against the increased false cases of blasphemy allegations and forced conversions of minor girls.

The protesters demanded the government enact an effective law to stop the misuse of the Blasphemy Law and forced conversion.

Minority leaders addressed the gathering and said that Hindu temples and Churches are being burnt in the country and people were killed on false allegations of blasphemy.

He further said that in recent months there has been a surge in such cases where 3-4 members of the minority community have been deliberately killed and Ahmadiyya mosques have been demolished.

"Earlier, you were targeting Pakist citizens, but even a Sri Lankan was lynched and burnt alive over allegations of blasphemy", a minority leader said in his speech.

In its annual report on the state of human rights in 2022, released on April 26 this year, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said that members of the Ahmadiyya community were targeted and several of their places of worship and over 90 graves desecrated, primarily in Punjab.

In a separate incident, an Ahmaddiya community Mosque was demolished in the Mirpur Khas area of Sindh province.

The Shias in Pakistan are also continuously being targeted by terrorists. On May 4, gunmen stormed a school in the Kurram district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and killed 7 Shia teachers.

The tribal district has a majority Shi'ite population often attacked by Sunni terrorist groups from the local Taliban movement. Sunni militants regard Shi'ites as heretics.