Call to Devise Policies for Protection of Religious Minorities

16-12-2021

Emma Barnhoorn

Pakistan and Human Rights Researcher,

Global Human Rights Defence.

The Minorities Alliance Pakistan (MAP) slammed the forced conversions of underage girls through criminal means and demanded for the federal and provincial governments to devise uniform policies that will ensure the protection of religious minorities.

MAP Chairman Akmal Bhatti said that minorities will not tolerate any violation of the rights of minor girls. At a press conference, the families of three victims of rape highlighted their ordeal and hardships at the hands of various govenrment departments and institutions. According to Mr. Bhatti, the government should set up special courts for such cases to provide the victims with the speedy justice they deserve. Every year, around 1,000 minor girls are abducted, raped, forcibly converted and forced into marriages in Pakistan. Bhatti said that it was no longer a religious issue, but criminal-minded people, kidnappers and adulterers escape punishment and the grip of law by claiming it is a religious issue. The voice of the victims cannot be silenced anymore and the struggle to provide justice to them will only continue to grow if the government does not take action. Authorities are called on to award exemplary punishments to the culprits and the government should introduce legislation that will ban forced conversions and marriages (Ali, 2021).

Sources and further readings:

Ali., K (2021, December 16) “Call to devise policies for protection of religious minorities” in Dawn:https://www.dawn.com/news/1664009/call-to-devise-policies-for-protection-of-religious-minorities.