Reports
Pakistan’s Compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination: Shadow Report
- GHRD Team
- 29 July 2026
- CERD, ICERD, Pakistan
This shadow report examines Pakistan’s compliance with the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, following the 2024 Concluding Observations issued by the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The report evaluates Pakistan’s implementation of its ICERD obligations, with a focus on communities facing discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, descent, caste and religious identity. It highlights the situation of Sindhis, Hindus, Christians, Dalits and Ahmadis, addressing forced conversion, forced marriage, caste-based segregation, blasphemy accusations, mob violence, attacks on religious sites and unequal access to justice.
The report further analyses Pakistan’s obligations under Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of ICERD. It concludes with recommendations calling for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, caste-based protections, reform of blasphemy laws, repeal of Ahmadi-specific laws, stronger safeguards against forced conversion, accountability for mob violence and extrajudicial killings, textbook reform and improved access to justice for minority communities.
The report evaluates Pakistan’s implementation of its ICERD obligations, with a focus on communities facing discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, descent, caste and religious identity. It highlights the situation of Sindhis, Hindus, Christians, Dalits and Ahmadis, addressing forced conversion, forced marriage, caste-based segregation, blasphemy accusations, mob violence, attacks on religious sites and unequal access to justice.
The report further analyses Pakistan’s obligations under Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of ICERD. It concludes with recommendations calling for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation, caste-based protections, reform of blasphemy laws, repeal of Ahmadi-specific laws, stronger safeguards against forced conversion, accountability for mob violence and extrajudicial killings, textbook reform and improved access to justice for minority communities.
✨ AI summary
This shadow report assesses Pakistan’s compliance with ICERD, focusing on discrimination against Sindhis, Hindus, Christians, Dalits and Ahmadis. It argues that minority communities continue to face systemic discrimination through forced conversions, forced marriages, caste-based exclusion, bonded labour, blasphemy accusations, mob violence, attacks on places of worship and unequal access to justice. The report highlights cases including Notan Lal, Dr Shahnawaz Kunbar, Joseph Colony, Jaranwala, Sargodha, Ahmadi worship restrictions, attacks on Ahmadi mosques and the Mubarak Sani case. It concludes that Pakistan’s legal, judicial and administrative frameworks have failed to provide effective protection and remedies, and recommends anti-discrimination legislation, caste-disaggregated data, reform or repeal of blasphemy laws, repeal of Ahmadi-specific laws, federal legislation against forced conversion, accountability for state officials, action against organisations inciting discrimination, removal of hateful content from textbooks and procedural safeguards for minority defendants.
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