Islamabad, May 10 (IANS) Human rights abuses have increased in Pakistan, particularly for the most vulnerable groups. Women experience the most severe consequences of Pakistan’s structural inequalities in the form of a femicide crisis. Gender-based violence, including acid attacks, forced and child marriage, rape, trafficking, forced conversion, and domestic abuse remain widespread in Pakistan, a report has stated. Hundreds of women are killed each year in so-called “honour killings”, often by r…
Latest Religious minorities News & Updates
Washington, April 28 (IANS) In the wake of the spate of attacks on places of worship of minorities, a bipartisan bill in the US Congress seeks to protect Hindu temples and other places of worship from harassment, as lawmakers cite rising threats to faith communities.The Safeguarding Access to Congregations and Religious Establishments from Disruption (SACRED) Act would make it a federal crime to intimidate, obstruct or harass people within 100 feet of a place of worship.The measure was introduce…
Colombo, April 23 (IANS) The Christian community in Pakistan continues to face severe discrimination, untouchability and oppression due to persistent misuse of blasphemy laws, societal intolerance and recurrent mob violence while state response has been inadequate, with little accountability for perpetrators, a report has stated. As minorities, Christians face many challenges in Pakistan, from experiencing discrimination every day to the threat of deadly violence. On April 11, a 25-year-old Chri…
Islamabad, April 6 (IANS) A British parliamentary group has expressed deep concerns over the case of a Christian girl, Maria Shehbaz, who was allegedly kidnapped and forced to marry in Pakistan. The parliamentary group’s statement comes after Pakistan’s Federal Constitutional Court termed the marriage of Maria Shehbaz lawful. However, the girl’s father has said that she was underage at the time and was forced to convert. For years, girls from Christian and Hindu communities in Pakistan have been…
Brussels, April 4 (IANS) Pakistan has repeatedly failed to demonstrate sustained, structural improvement in the core human rights situation, a key condition under the European Union’s Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+) framework, despite more than a decade of preferential access, a report said on Saturday. According to the ‘European Times’ report, given the current trajectory, evidence suggests a strong case for suspending Pakistan’s GSP+ status until it meets the obligations in a…
Islamabad, March 27 (IANS) A leading minority rights group on Friday alleged that Pakistan’s blasphemy laws are being exploited as a tool of systematic coercion, enabling organised religious groups and their allies to intimidate judges, prosecutors, police, and politicians, effectively holding the country’s justice system and broader state machinery hostage. According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), this “blasphemy complex” relies on fear of mob violence, targeted killings, and…
Islamabad, March 24 (IANS) The recent suicide bombing inside a mosque in Pakistan’s Islamabad, which killed at least 31 worshippers and injured over 160 others, was not an aberration but part of a grim continuum for Shia community in the country. The attack on Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in Islamabad signalled not only a local lapse but a systemic failure of deterrence. Shia mosques, processions, buses, hospitals, and shrines have faced attacks in Pakistan for the past 20 years. “From Peshawar and …
Washington, March 21 (IANS) A US resolution seeking to recognise the 1971 Bangladesh genocide highlights the targeted killing of Hindus and calls for action against the Pakistan Army and its allies.Congressman Greg Landsman introduced the measure in the House of Representatives, urging formal US recognition of the atrocities and accountability for the Pakistan Army and Jamaat-e-Islami over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.The resolution condemns the atrocities committed during Oper…
London, March 18 (IANS) Pakistan’s systemic denial of justice for survivors of gender-based violence goes beyond procedural failure, exposing deeply entrenched patriarchal attitudes and administrative failures embedded in the country’s governance structures. When victims are ignored, dissuaded, and denied fair hearings, justice becomes an empty promise — one that perpetuates violence and marginalisation, a report has detailed.“Patriarchy in Pakistan is not merely a social attitude but a …
Washington, March 8 (IANS) The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has urged the US government to redesignate Pakistan as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) over systematic, ongoing, and egregious violations of religious freedom. In its 2026 Annual Report, the US federal watchdog recommended that the US government lift the existing waiver that exists for Pakistan, or not issue a waiver, releasing the administration from taking otherwise legislatively mandated action as…