Islamabad, July 27 (IANS) Officials in Pakistan recently reported to a parliamentary committee that most of the 333 blasphemy cases lodged in the country’s four provinces in the past five years were false, reports have stated. Provincial home secretaries and senior police officials reported to the Senate’s Functional Committee on Human Rights that the false cases included those involving Christians and other religious minorities. The official data presented to the committee revealed that Punja…
Latest Voice of Pakistan Minority News & Updates
Islamabad, July 22 (IANS) A leading minority rights group on Wednesday accused Pakistan of failing to curb the misuse of blasphemy laws, citing false allegations, widespread mob violence against the accused and failure to protect the minorities from their consequences. According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), the blasphemy laws remain among Pakistan’s most “controversial issues”, with their impact on religious minorities and the continued failure of institutions to prevent their mis…
Islamabad, July 17 (IANS) At least two young Christian men were fatally shot in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, a leading minority rights organisation said on Friday, warning that the killings reflect persistent threats to lives faced by the religious minorities across the country. According to Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), 21-year-old Ayush Masih and 24-year-old Domnik Masih were shot dead by gunmen on motorcycles in the Shamsabad area of Mastung district in Balochistan, just a few kilome…
Islamabad, July 15 (IANS) A leading minority rights organisation expressed grave concern over the misuse of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, alleging that accusations are increasingly being weaponised to settle scores, seize property, and target minorities in the country. According to the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM), a dangerous pattern resurfaced in Karachi on July 9 after a desecrated page of the Quran was allegedly mailed to a shop along with photographs of a Christian man, Azeem Javaid, and …
New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) India on Wednesday strongly condemned the “highly deplorable” and “targeted act of vandalism” against a revered Sikh shrine in Pakistan while once again highlighting the systemic targeting of religious minorities and their places of worship across the border which continues unabated. Responding to media queries, the spokesperson of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Randhir Jaiswal stated that India has taken note of the “deeply distressing” reports regarding the demolit…
Islamabad, June 26 (IANS) Members of a growing organised blasphemy business network in Pakistan are actively attempting to trap people into committing blasphemy on social media. Some Pakistani officials, including members of Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), conduct work on behalf of the blasphemy network, a report said. “The main purpose here is to extort bribes from the target in exchange for dropping criminal charges. In the custody of such people, the treatment is appalling. At …
Islamabad, June 24 (IANS) The brutal murder of elderly Sikh couple Jagan Nath and Ashawanti, who served as caretakers of a gurdwara in Mardan, a city in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has once again underscored the persistent concerns over the safety and security of minorities in the country, according to a latest report. The most troubling aspect of the case is the allegation that the arrested suspect, Sher Shah, said he committed the murders to “earn paradise”. If verified, the crime represent…
Islamabad, June 20 (IANS) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) strongly condemned the killing of a Sikh couple who were reportedly serving as caretakers of a gurdwara in Mardan city of the country’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, saying that the incident has intensified concerns over the safety and security of religious minorities and their places of worship.The remarks came after unidentified assailants reportedly opened fire inside the gurdwara in the Babu Mohalla Khawaja Ganj Bazaar…
Islamabad, June 5 (IANS) The United Nations (UN) has repeatedly expressed concern over the persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan. However, meaningful change in Pakistan remains elusive despite years of warnings, recommendations, and expressions of concern. The international organisations must move beyond cautious rhetoric as turning a blind eye to the suffering of religious minorities in Pakistan does not serve justice or the values that the international community claims to hold, a re…
Hong Kong, May 28 (IANS) A UK-based Christian organisation and rights group has voiced concerns over the restrictions faced by Ahmadis on celebrating Eid al-Adha in Pakistan. Cecil Shane Chaudhry, South Asia Deputy Team Leader at the UK-based Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), condemned the restrictions imposed on Ahmadi community, terming it “unfortunate” that every year the Ahmadi community face such restrictions from non-state actors and state institutions, a report in Union of Catholic As…