The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) in its latest report titled “Streets of Fear: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2024/25,” has raised grave concerns about the deteriorating situation of religious freedom and minority rights in Pakistan. The report highlights an alarming surge in violence against religious minorities, particularly Ahmadis, Hindus, and Christians, accompanied by incidents of forced conversions and underage marriages of Hindu and Christian girls, especially in Punjab and Sindh. These developments reveal systemic failures in enforcing existing child marriage restraint laws, leaving minority girls highly vulnerable to exploitation.
The report documents a troubling pattern of targeted killings of Ahmadis, alongside the demolition of their protected places of worship, which signals a dangerous escalation of intolerance and persecution. It further draws attention to mob lynching incidents, where individuals accused of blasphemy—mostly minorities—have been brutally attacked. Disturbingly, in some cases, individuals who sought police protection were extra-judicially killed by law enforcement itself, underscoring a deep crisis in accountability and the urgent need for reform within policing and judicial systems.
Another pressing concern highlighted in the report is the sharp increase in hate speech, ranging from threats against the chief justice of the Supreme Court to the public vilification of elected representatives. This surge, according to HRCP, stems from shrinking civic space and the growing boldness of extremist groups. Particularly alarming is the increasing alignment of bar associations with extremist religious ideologies, which undermines the independence of the legal profession. The report also mentions allegations of collusion between state institutions and extremist elements, particularly in cases where young men and women were entrapped in false accusations of blasphemy and subjected to extortion, a trend described as one of the most alarming in recent years.
To address these challenges, the HRCP has called on the Pakistani government to establish an inquiry commission based on findings by the National Commission for Human Rights regarding entrapment in blasphemy cases. It also recommended strict monitoring of seminaries known for their involvement in forced conversions of underage girls. Additionally, the report stressed the urgent need for better training of law enforcement in intelligence gathering, crowd management, early riot detection, and community policing to prevent mob violence. Swift punitive action against those who incite mobs was also emphasized as a crucial measure.
Finally, the HRCP demanded the creation of an independent statutory national commission dedicated to safeguarding the rights of minorities, ensuring equal representation for all religious communities. The report concludes that without decisive action, the rising tide of violence, hate speech, and institutional complicity threatens not only Pakistan’s minority communities but also the broader principles of justice, equality, and rule of law.
