Key Issues Faced By Non-Muslims Remained Unresolved: CSJ

News Desk

Lahore: At least 2,120 persons had been accused of committing blasphemy between 1987 and 2022 as the trend witnessed an increase in the aggregate abuse of blasphemy laws in Punjab in the past 36 years, above 75 per cent. However, 52 per cent of the accused belonged to minorities despite their small percentage (3.52 per cent) in the country’s population.

52 per cent of the accused belonged to minorities despite their small percentage (3.52 per cent) in the country’s population

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) has issued the ‘Human Rights Observer 2023’– an annual factsheet that covers five key issues impacting religious minorities that include discrimination in the education system, prevalence of forced faith conversions, abuse of blasphemy laws, establishment of the National Commission for Minorities (NCM), and jail remissions for minority prisoners.

The factsheet informs that at least 171 persons had been accused under the blasphemy laws; out of these, over 65 per cent of cases surfaced in Punjab province, followed by 19 per cent in Sindh. Moreover, the highest number of victims (88) was Muslims, followed by 75 Ahmadis, four Christians, and two Hindus, while the religious identity of the two accused could not be ascertained.

The total number of extrajudicial killings of the accused was 88 in total during the period from 1987 to 2022: FactSheet

The fCSJ’s factsheet analysed 124 reported incidents of forced faith conversions involving girls and women from minority communities. As many as 23 per cent of the girls were under 14 years of age, 36 per cent of them were between the ages of 14 and 18, and only 12 per cent of the victims were adults, while the age of 28 per cent of the victims was not reported. 65 per cent of cases of forced faith conversions were reported in Sindh, followed by 33 per cent in Punjab, and 0.8 per cent each in KP and Balochistan.

The establishment of the statutory NCM remained pending.

A weak and lopsided draught is now being presented in the parliament in March 2023, which might become a reason for further delay and the ultimate establishment of the NCM.

The factsheet stated that no progress was made regarding providing remission to minority prisoners during 2022, despite the fact that this concession has been available for Muslim prisoners since 1978.

CSJ Executive Director Peter Jacob said that the annual factsheet carries recommendations to address the issues, along with practical steps for the realisation and protection of the rights of minorities. Peter urged the government to take stock of these issues and enforce the human rights of minorities.