HRCP calls attention to continued marginalisation of religious minorities - Press Release issued by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

Lahore -- February 07, 2023 (PPI-OT)

Following is the text of press release issued by Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP)

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In its report titled A Breach of Faith: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2021-22, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has observed with considerable alarm developments during 2021/22 that belie the state's commitment to freedom of religion or belief.

The incidence of forced conversions in Sindh has remained worryingly consistent. Reports of religious minorities' sites of worship being desecrated have continued, but with no response from the state when such incidents involve sites associated with the Ahmadiyya community.

In Punjab, the mandatory declaration of faith for marriage certificates has further marginalised the Ahmadiyya community, while attempts to enforce a standardised national curriculum have created an exclusionary narrative that sidelines Pakistan's religious minorities.

HRCP has reiterated the need for a representative and autonomous statutory national commission for minorities in the spirit of the 2014 Supreme Court Jillani judgement. It has also called for urgent legislation to criminalise forced conversions.

Among other recommendations, HRCP has demanded that the state make a concerted effort to counter sectarian violence, not only by implementing the National Action Plan but also by developing a national narrative that...