Pakistan

Press release

Child Marriage in Sindh: How Marginalisation, Climate Crisis and Religious Extremism Fuel a Growing Human Rights Crisis

Sindh continues to face alarming human rights challenges, particularly affecting young girls from marginalised and minority communities. Despite existing laws, child marriage and forced religious conversions remain widespread due to weak enforcement, political resistance, poverty, and entrenched social norms. This article outlines the structural causes behind these violations and highlights the urgent need for stronger protections, accountability, and coordinated efforts to safeguard vulnerable girls in the region. 

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Article

The Impact of Blasphemy Laws on Minority Communities in Pakistan: The Case of the Ahmadiyya Community

In Pakistan, blasphemy laws have shifted from colonial safeguards against inter-religious conflict to powerful instruments of persecution. Originally presented as protections for religious devotion, they are now widely misused to silence dissent and marginalise minorities. For the Ahmadiyya community, these laws do not merely restrict expression but criminalise existence itself, exposing Ahmadis to violence, exclusion, and systemic discrimination. Their plight illustrates how blasphemy legislation, far from ensuring harmony, undermines the rule of law and violates fundamental human rights.

Press release

UN Side Event: Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan

On April 1st, 2025, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) held a side event at the 58th Human Rights Council session in Geneva, moderated by Charlotte Zehrer. The event highlighted a GHRD report on enforced disappearances in Pakistan, particularly affecting ethnic and religious minorities, and called for urgent reforms and accountability. Panelists included Isabelle Wachsmuth from WHO, who discussed the traumatic impacts of enforced disappearances; Jamal Baloch, who described the systematic oppression of Baloch people, labeling it as genocide; Ammarah Balouch, who focused on the forced conversion of Sindhi girls; and Anwar Mehmood Rehman, who addressed the persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims. All panelists united in demanding an end to enforced disappearances and called on the UN and international community to act decisively against these human rights violations.

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Press release

HRFP Demands Justice for Blasphemy-Accused Farhan Masih and Others

Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) condemns widespread persecution of religious minorities in Pakistan, particularly Christians and Hindus. Violations include forced conversions and misuse of blasphemy laws, illustrated by the recent case of Farhan Masih, accused of blasphemy after a personal conflict. HRFP reports numerous abductions and forced conversions affecting both Christian and Hindu women. The president of HRFP, Naveed Walter, highlights the physical violence, social exclusion, and barriers to justice faced by minorities, exacerbated by institutional discrimination. Despite constitutional protections, violations of religious freedom persist, keeping minorities marginalized and at risk. HRFP operates the REAT Helpline, providing support for human rights violations, receiving significant calls regarding religious issues annually.

Press release

GHRD’s UN Side Event: Human Rights in Pakistan

On October 2, 2024, GHRD hosted an event at the 57th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, chaired by Mariana Mayor Lima, featuring speakers including Professor Nicolas Levrat, Ammarah Balouch, and Jamal Baloch. Professor Levrat discussed the unequal enjoyment of human rights globally, emphasizing state obligations under human rights treaties and the role of NGOs in raising awareness. Ammarah Balouch highlighted the forced conversions and marriages of Sindhi girls in Pakistan, noting significant obstacles to justice for victims. Jamal Baloch shared his testimony on enforced disappearances in Balochistan, affecting young activists and their families. The panel called for urgent cooperation among minorities, adherence to human rights treaty obligations, and accountability for perpetrators, suggesting the establishment of an independent UN fact-finding mission.

Press release

Special Hearing: Addressing Human Rights Violations in Pakistan

On August 15, 2024, an urgent special hearing was held to address escalating human rights violations against minorities in Pakistan, attended by experts, community representatives, and policymakers. The keynote speaker, Professor Nicolas Levrat, emphasized the need for tailored approaches to protect minority rights. A report by the Global Human Rights Defense highlighted personal testimonies and legal analyses of ongoing issues faced by Sindhi, Baloch, Ahmadiyya, and Christian communities, with calls for international intervention. The hearing encouraged attendees to think about their roles in advocating for vulnerable groups and underlined the European Union’s potential influence through trade relations. GHRD’s campaign, “Final Call to Pakistan,” aims to raise awareness of these rights violations.

Press release

HRFP observed National Minorities Day 2024 on “Jinnah’s 11th August Speech on Religious Freedom

On National Minorities Day, Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) held an event in Faisalabad, focusing on Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s 1947 speech advocating for religious freedom. Attendees, including political workers and human rights advocates, discussed Jinnah’s ideology and the ongoing targeting of minorities in Pakistan, accentuated by alarming incidents of violence against religious groups. Naveed Walter, president of HRFP, criticized the lack of action from political parties regarding minority rights and called for increased government protection for these communities. The speakers emphasized the need to promote Jinnah’s message actively, incorporate it into the constitution, and address the challenges faced by religious minorities to ensure their fundamental rights and security.

Press release

HRFP Condemned the Blasphemy Accusation and Mob Attack on Christian Families in Sargodha: Nazir Masih and Sultan Masih Brutally Victimized

HRFP condemned the mob attack on Christian families in Sargodha on May 25, 2024, following false blasphemy allegations against Nazir Masih and his son Sultan Masih. The victims, owners of a shoe factory, were accused of desecrating the Quran. The HRFP fact-finding team responded to the attack, gathering evidence and demanding justice for the families involved. They criticized the failure to call police during such incidents and highlighted the alarming pattern of mob violence against Christians in Pakistan. President Naveed Walter advocated for reforms and the repeal of blasphemy laws to protect victims.

Press release

Side Event: Minorities in South Asia

On 22 March, a side event at the Human Rights Council in Geneva focused on the situation of minorities in South Asia, organized by NEP-JKGBL. The panel included experts such as Prof. Nicolas Levrat and Mr. Konstantin Bogdanos, who criticized the Pakistani government’s policies toward minorities, especially in Jammu & Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. Bogdanos emphasized the need for European citizens to engage with these issues, while Prof. Levrat highlighted the challenges of his mandate due to the diversity of minority groups. Tsenge Tsering spoke about the poverty and lack of rights faced by the people in Gilgit-Baltistan, and Mr. Hawksley advocated for peaceful resistance and local development to prevent disaster. A member of the democratic forum condemned the genocide of minorities in Pakistan, stressing the need for international attention to these issues.

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