# Minorities in Pakistan face rights violations despite legislative measures

> HRCP report reveals religious minorities in Pakistan continue to face rights violations despite new laws.
- Title: Minorities in Pakistan face rights violations despite…
- Summary: HRCP report reveals religious minorities in Pakistan continue to face rights violations despite new laws. HRCP report shows religious minorities in Pakistan…
- Keywords: hrcp, pakistan, religious minorities, blasphemy laws, forced marriages, hate speech, minority rights, national commission for minorities act, minimum marriageable age, police response, news, politics
- Source: Dawn — https://dawn.com/news/2037389/minorities-in-pakistan-continue-to-face-rights-violations-despite-legislative-measures-to-protect-them-hrcp
- Author: Imran Gabol
- Published: 2026-10-15T18:17:38+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: hrcp, pakistan, religious minorities, blasphemy laws, forced marriages, hate speech, minority rights, national commission for minorities act, minimum marriageable age, police response, news, politics
## HRCP report finds minorities face rights violations
HRCP concluded religious minorities continue to face violations of fundamental rights including blasphemy laws, forced marriages, and hate speech despite legislative measures.

> Sanctuary Denied: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2025/26
## Scores of blasphemy cases remain unresolved
The report documented scores of individuals accused of blasphemy remaining in legal limbo while alleged perpetrators of an organized entrapment network remain uninvestigated.
## Ahmadi community targeted in recent attacks
The report documented attacks on the Ahmadi community including two incidents in Chenab Nagar in October 2025 and June 2026.
## Girls face forced marriages and abductions
Girls belonging to Christian and Hindu communities continue to face abductions and forced marriages compounded by poverty and inadequate police responses.
## Discriminatory employment practices
Discriminatory employment practices, controversial changes to school curricula, and marginalization of minority concerns in mainstream media undermine equal citizenship.
## HRCP director warns of exclusionary state approach
HRCP Director Farah Zia warned that the state’s approach to religious minorities is becoming increasingly exclusionary.
## Kamran Gill's dispensary attacked
Minority rights defender Nabila Feroz Bhatti highlighted the case of Kamran Gill, a Christian medical practitioner from Sheikhupura, whose dispensary was set ablaze by a mob on Oct 9.
## Blasphemy accusations exploited
HRCP Vice-Chair in Punjab Raja Ashraf stated blasphemy accusations have become a means of exploiting and endangering vulnerable people.
## Public urged to consult lawyers
Arafat Mazhar, director of research and advocacy collective Shehri Pakistan, urged the public to consult lawyers representing people accused in blasphemy cases.
## Institutional discrimination against minorities
Former HRCP chairperson Hina Jilani highlighted the institutional nature of discrimination against minorities, stating democracy should have no concept of minority and majority.
## Positive legislative developments
HRCP welcomed the passage of the National Commission for Minorities Act 2025 and laws in Punjab and Balochistan raising the minimum marriageable age to 18.
## Minority commission not yet constituted
However, the HRCP noted that the minority commission had yet to be constituted months after the law’s passage, raising questions about government commitment to implementation.
## HRCP recommendations for action
HRCP called on federal government to implement the National Commission for Minorities Act without delay by constituting the commission, framing rules, and appointing members.
## Publish annual disaggregated data
HRCP urged federal and provincial governments to publish annual, disaggregated data on blasphemy cases, mob violence, forced conversions, and prison conditions.
## Khyber Pakhtunkhwa needs marriage age law
HRCP recommended prompt legislation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to set the minimum marriageable age at 18 for both men and women.
## Key takeaway

HRCP report shows religious minorities in Pakistan face ongoing rights violations including blasphemy laws, forced marriages, and hate speech despite legislative protections.