Jump to content

Religious discrimination in Pakistan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 103.51.135.71 (talk) at 21:14, 4 November 2021. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Religious discrimination in Pakistan is a serious issue for the human rights situation in modern-day Pakistan. Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Shias, and Ahmadis among other religious minorities often face discrimination and at times are even subjected to violence. In some cases Christian churches and Ahmadi mosques and the worshippers themselves have been attacked.[1] Khawaja Nazimuddin, the 2nd Prime Minister of Pakistan, stated: "I do not agree that religion is a private affair of the individual nor do I agree that in an Islamic state every citizen has identical rights, no matter what his caste, creed or faith be".[2]

One of the significant issues being faced by minority communities is the abuse of the blasphemy law.[citation needed] People belonging to minority religions are often falsely accused of using derogatory remarks against the Islamic prophet Muhammad, resulting in fines, lengthy prison sentences, and sometimes the death penalty.[3] Often these accusations are made to settle personal vendettas and, due to the bias against minorities, victims are often immediately presumed guilty without any substantive evidence.[3]

According to 1951 census, Non-Muslims constituted 14.20% of total Pakistan's (West Pakistan and East Pakistan) population. In West Pakistan (now Pakistan), the Non-Muslims constituted 3.44% of the total population while East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) had a significant share comprising 23.20 per cent of the population therein.[4] One reason for low Non-Muslim percentage is because of higher birth rates among the Muslims.[5][6][7][8] A report compiled by Members of the European Parliament attributes multiple reasons for the decline of minority population including communal violence and forced conversions.[9] Another reason was due to constant migration of India and Pakistan's respective minorities after the partition of India in 1947. However, the main reason as to why the population of minorities declined was due to the separation of East Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) which constituted almost 18% of Pakistan's Hindu population according to the 1961 Pakistani census.[10] After the independence of Bangladesh, all minorities (mostly Hindus) that lived in the former East Pakistan were no longer counted in the census as they were officially Bangladeshis, and not Pakistanis. Due to the fact that Hindus made up the large bulk of the minority population, the percentage of Pakistan's minorities plummeted.[citation needed]

In the 1951 census, West Pakistan had 1.6% Hindu population, while East Pakistan (modern Bangladesh) had 22.05%.[11] By 1997, the percentage of Hindus remained stable at 1.6% in Pakistan,[12] while in Bangladesh, it had dropped to 9.2% by 2011, with non-Muslims accounting for 10.2% of the population.[13]

In 1999 the United Nations Human Rights Council approved the first resolution against defamation of religions. However these resolutions have been severely criticized by the United States, various European nations and freedom of religion groups as these resolutions contained language which could be used to discriminate against minority religions, and in March 2010 the UN refused to enact the most recent resolution.[14]

In 2011 religious intolerance was reported to be at its height, hundreds of minorities, women, journalists and liberals were being killed by Islamist fundamentalist extremists, while the Government remained mostly a silent spectator, often only making statements which condemned the ruthless acts of violence by the extremists but taking no real concrete action against them.[15][16][17]

Progress on religious freedom is being made gradually as Pakistan transitions to democracy from Zia's legacy, in 2016 Sindh with Pakistan's largest Hindu minority passed a bill that outlawed forced conversions. However, the bill was never ratified by the Governor.[18] The bill was tabled by a faction of the Pakistan Muslim League which in Sindh is led by Sufi leader Pir Pagara, called PML-F, Pakistan Muslim League functional.[19] In 2014, NGOs estimated that around 1000 girls from minority groups every year are being forcibly converted to Islam.[9][3][20] In November 2019, a parliamentary committee was formed to prevent act of forced conversion in Pakistan.[21]

During the COVID-19 pandemic in Pakistan, reports emerged that rations were being denied to minority Hindus and Christians in the coastal areas of Karachi. The Saylani Welfare Trust, carrying out the relief work, said that the aid was reserved for Muslims alone.[22][23] On 14 April, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom expressed concern with the discrimination. Other organisations, including Edhi Foundation, JDC Welfare Organization and Jamaat-e-Islami are reported to have stepped forward to provide relief to the minorities.[24]

Violence against minorities

See also: Minorities in Pakistan, Forced conversion in Pakistan, and Sectarianism in Pakistan

Attacks on religious minorities in Pakistan have claimed hundreds of lives of religious minorities, such as Hindus, Pakistani Ahmadis, Shia, Sufis and Christians.[25]

Women belonging to minority communities have been targets of forced conversions and marriages.[3] Forced conversion, rape, and forced marriages of Hindu women in Pakistan have recently become controversial in Pakistan.[26][27]

Attacks on minorities in the country have led to condemnation of policies that are discriminatory to religious minorities in Pakistan.[28] Following the 2010 Lahore massacre, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said "Members of this religious community have faced continuous threats, discrimination and violent attacks in Pakistan. There is a real risk that similar violence might happen again unless advocacy of religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence is adequately addressed. The Government must take every step to ensure the security of members of all religious minorities and their places of worship so as to prevent any recurrence of today’s dreadful incident." Ban's spokesperson expressed condemnation and extended his condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government.[29]

The United States ambassador to Pakistan, Anne W. Patterson, issued an unusually strong[citation needed] statement saying Pakistan had witnessed an increase in "provocative statements that promote intolerance and are an incitement to extremist violence."[30]

An editorial published in Dawn condemned the attacks, commenting that "Bigotry in this country has been decades in the making and is expressed in a variety of ways. Violence by individuals or groups against those who hold divergent views may be the most despicable manifestation of such prejudice but it is by no means the only one. Religious minorities in Pakistan have not only been shunted to the margins of society but also face outright persecution on a regular basis."[31]

Ahmadis

See also: Persecution of Ahmadis in Pakistan
Further information: 1953 Lahore riots, 1974 Anti-Ahmadiyya riots, and Ordinance XX

Pakistan made an amendment to its constitution in 1974, declaring Ahmadis as non-Muslims. In the following decade, military dictator Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq prohibited Ahmadis from calling themselves as Muslims.[32]

The May 2010 Lahore attacks left 94 dead and more than 120 injured in nearly simultaneous attacks against two mosques of the minority Ahmadiyya Community[30] Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, as well as their Punjab wing, claimed responsibility for the attacks and were also blamed by the Pakistani police.

The Ahmadi community released a persecution report in 2018 in which the discrimination faced by Ahmadis in Pakistan has been detailed including "indiscriminate arrests" of people from the community. Ahmadis are forbidden to call themselves Muslims or use Islamic symbols in their religious practices. They are also mandated to declare themselves as Non-Muslims in order to vote in general elections. Another report listed 3963 news items and 532 editorial pieces in the country's Urdu-language media for spreading "hate propaganda" against Ahmadis.[32]

In September 2018, several Islamist groups in Pakistan publicly opposed the selection of Atif Mian, who is from the Ahmadi community, as a member of the government's Economic Advisory Council. He was removed less than a week after selection owing to pressure from Islamist groups. Voice of America reported that after the ouster of Mian the "Ahmadi community fears a renewed sense of religious intolerance and discrimination" in Pakistan.[33]

Christians

See also: Persecution of Christians in Pakistan and Discrimination and Muslim extremist violence against Christians in Pakistan

In 2005, a mob set churches and Christian schools on fire in Faisalabad, forcing Christians to flee from their homes. In 2009, a mob set fire to about 40 houses and a church in Gojra and burnt eight people alive.[34]

On 22 September 2013, a twin suicide bomb attack took place at All Saints Church[35] in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which 127 people were killed and over 250 injured.[36][37][38][39] On 15 March 2015, two blasts took place at Roman Catholic Church and Christ Church during Sunday service at Youhanabad town of Lahore.[40] At least 15 people were killed and seventy were wounded in the attacks.[41][42]

A church in Quetta was bombed with 9 being killed. The Islamic State group took responsibility for the attack.[43]

According to an Open Doors claim in November 2017, Pakistan had the highest number of Christians killed in the world during the 12-month time period of 1 November 2015 to 31 October 2016, with 76 Christians being killed in the country. Pakistan also topped the list of most number of documented church attacks, accounting for 600 of the total 1329 churches attacked worldwide during the same time period.[44]

Hindus

See also: Anti-Hindu sentiment in Pakistan, Decline and discrimination of Hindus in Pakistan, Persecution of Hindus in Pakistan, Sectarian violence against Hindus in Pakistan, and Hinduism in Pakistan
Further information: 1930 Dhaka riots, 1950 East Pakistan riots, and 1964 East Pakistan riots

On 18 October 2005, Sanno Amra and Champa, a Hindu couple residing in the Punjab Colony, Karachi, Sindh returned home to find that their three teenage daughters had disappeared. After inquiries to the local police, the couple discovered that their daughters had been taken to a local madrassah, had been converted to Islam, and were denied unsupervised contact with their parents.[45] In January 2017, a Hindu temple was demolished in Pakistan's Haripur district.[46]

In 2006, a Hindu temple in Lahore was destroyed to pave the way for construction of a multi-storied commercial building. When reporters from Pakistan-based newspaper Dawn tried to cover the incident, they were accosted by the henchmen of the property developer, who denied that a Hindu temple existed at the site.[47]

In July 2010, about 60 Hindus were attacked by 150 residents in Murad Memon Goth neighbourhood of Karachi and ethnically cleansed following an incident when a Hindu youth drank from a water tap near an Islamic mosque. About seven were injured, the injured stated that 400 Hindu families were being threatened to leave the area.[48][49] In January 2014, in an attack on a temple in Peshawar, the guard was gunned down.[50]

On March 15, 2014, a crowd of Muslims burnt a Hindu temple and a dharmashala in Larkana, Sindh, Pakistan, after unverified allegations of a Hindu youth desecrating a copy of the Quran.[51][52][53][54] In January 2014, a policeman standing guard outside a Hindu temple at Peshawar was gunned down.[50] The 25 March 2014 Express Tribune citing an All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement (PHRM) survey said that 95% of all Hindu temples in Pakistan have been converted since 1990.[55]

A senior Pakistani journalist stated that "Wealthy Muslim farmers see [Hindu girls] as fair game for abductions, rape, and prolonged sexual exploitation in captivity. Some notorious religious establishments proudly validate these alleged crimes. State institutions, the police and politicians have encouraged the trend by looking the other way." Harris Khalique claimed that "madrassas provide an institutional backing and that cannot happen if the state does not allow that. I rest the responsibility of such incidents squarely on the state, which fails its citizens."[56]

In 2019, Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan, the information and culture minister of Punjab province made derogatory remarks against the Hindu community in a television programme.[57][58] However, later on, he apologised for his derogatory remarks and insisted that his remarks were aimed at Indian armed forces and Indian government and not against any Hindu community.[59]

On April 10, 2019, Pakistan decided to restore over 400 Hindu temples which were either demolished or converted for other uses. Pakistan's federal government stated they are fulfilling the longstanding demand of the minority Hindus that their places of worship be restored to them. This action has been welcomed by the Hindu community living in Pakistan. The process will begin with two historic temples in Sialkot and Peshawar.[60][61] According to a recent government estimate, at least 11 temples in Sindh, four in Punjab, three in Balochistan and two in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were operational in 2019.[60] Out of the 400 temples in Pakistan, only 13 temples are operational where members of the Hindu community perform their religious rituals.[61]

In July, 2021 over 60 Hindus were converted to Islam in Mirpur Khas District and Mithi areas of Sindh.[62]

A survey carried out by All Pakistan Hindu Rights Movement revealed that out of 428 Hindu temples in Pakistan only around 20 survive today and they remain neglected by the Evacuee Trust Property Board which controls those while the rest had been converted for other uses.[55] In the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition Pakistani Hindus faced riots. Mobs attacked five Hindu temples in Karachi and set fire to 25 temples in towns across the province of Sindh. Shops owned by Hindus were also attacked in Sukkur. Hindu homes and temples were also attacked in Quetta.[63] Jain Mandar at Jain Mandar Chowk in Lahore was destroyed by the bigoted Muslims mobs in 1992 and the government changed the name of Jain Mandar Chowk to Babri Masjid chowk, which became the official name.[64] According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan data, just around 1,000 Hindu families fled to India in 2013.[65] In May 2014, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Dr. Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, revealed in the National Assembly of Pakistan that around 5,000 Hindus are migrating from Pakistan to India every year.[66]

Shias

See also: Sectarian violence against Shias in Pakistan and Anti-Shi'ism in Pakistan
Further information: Persecution of Hazara people in Quetta

In 2012 Jundallah militants stopped buses and massacred 18 men travelling on buses. All but one of the victims were Shia Muslim, while others on the buses were spared.[67][68]

In 2012, Malik Ishaq, founder of the anti-Shia militant group Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, called Shias the "greatest infidels on earth" and demanded the country to declare them as "non-Muslims on the basis of their beliefs."[69] Brad Adams, the Asia director of Human Rights Watch, stated that "The government’s persistent failure to apprehend attackers or prosecute the extremist groups organizing the attacks suggests that it is indifferent to this carnage."[70]

Shia Muslims, who make up 15 to 20 per cent of the Muslim population in the country, have been "specifically targeted and killed by machine guns and suicide bombers." According to the data compiled by South Asia Terrorism Portal, there have been 446 incidents of violence against the Shia Muslims in Pakistan between 2003 and May 2016, in which more than 2558 people have been killed and over 4518 others injured.[71]

In 2020, the European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS) in a report entitled, Guilty until proven innocent: The sacrilegious nature of blasphemy laws Pakistan, has said that the biggest proportion of Muslims charged with blasphemy offences belong to the Shia community. The paper has recommended wide-ranging changes to Pakistan's laws and legal systems.[72] Thousand of Pakistanis marched for an anti-Shia protests in Karachi, the country's financial hub, during early September, 2020. The march was caused due to Shia clergies making disparaging remarks against historical Islamic figures. The remarks were televised during the Shia Ashura procession. Ashura commemorates the Battle of Karbala, which caused the schism in Islam. Sunni groups demanded that disparaging remarks against any Islamic figures were not acceptable and will not be tolerated.[73]

On January 3rd of 2021, a group of miners in Balochistan were victims of terrorist attacks. The attackers infiltrated and ambushed a coal mine near Mach, Pakistan; after which they "separated those who belonged to an ethnic group called Hazaras, blindfolded them, tied their hands behind their backs and brutally killed them".[74] The Hazara community is an ethnic community from central Afghanistan of Hazarajat that have a mostly strong Shia religious identity. This event lead to a nationwide outcry and protest on social media. Imran Khan responded to the atrocities by accepting the demands of the attackers which infuriated the Pakistani victims.[75]

Sikhs

In 2009, the Pakistani Taliban imposed Jizya on Non-Muslims, houses of 11 Sikh families were demolished in Orakzai Agency for refusing to pay jizya ransom.

In 2010, a Sikh youth Jaspal Singh was beheaded in Khyber Agency after his family could not pay the big Jijzya ransom. Consequently, thousands of Sikhs had to abandon their homes and flee from tribal areas to resettled in areas with larger Sikh populations, such as Peshawar, Hassanabdal and Nankana Sahib.[76]

In May 2018, a prominent Sikh leader Charanjeet Singh was shot dead in Peshawar. It was the tenth targeted murder of a prominent Sikh since 2014, and "stirred unprecedented fear – and fury – among the community’s members, particularly in Peshawar."[77][78]

On 3 January 2020, Pakistani media reported that "scores of protesters surrounded the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, on Friday afternoon, threatening to overrun the holy site if their demands for the release of suspects in an alleged forced conversion case were not met".[79] There were also reports of stone-pelting on the shrine by a mob of angry local Muslims, that even threatened to convert it into a mosque.[80]

On 27 July 2020, it was reported that the Gurdwara Shaheed Bhai Taru Singh, which is the site of martyrdom of Bhai Taru Singh, had been forcibly taken over and was converted into a mosque and named as Masjid Shahid Ganj.[81][82]

Sufis

See also: Persecution of Sufis in Pakistan

The July 2010 Lahore bombings killed 50 people and wounded 200 others in two suicide bombings on the Sufi shrine, Data Durbar Complex in Lahore.[83][84]

The 2016 Khuzdar bombing on a Sufi shrine in Balochistan killed more than 47 people.

Valentine's Day

Main article: Valentine's Day in Pakistan

Though Valentine's Day in Pakistan is officially banned, and the Islamist orthodoxy[85] has taken steps to obstruct celebrations, many Pakistanis celebrate the day's festivities.[86][87] In recent years, youth and commercial establishments in Pakistan have supported Valentine's Day festivities and celebrating romantic friendship and love, as noted by journalists Asif Shahzad and Andrew Roche and Safia Bano, a philosophy lecturer. They note that youth in the country, where 60 percent of the population is below age 30 and half are under 18, are influenced more by global trends than traditions.[86][88] Valentine's Day serves annually as a flash point of the culture war in Pakistan.[89]

Forced conversion

Main article: Forced conversion of minority girls in Pakistan
Dargah pir sarhandi, a frequent crime scene of forced conversion and marriage of kidnapped underage Hindu girls.

More than a 1000 minor girls, mostly Hindu are forcefully converted every year to Islam in Pakistan.[90][91][92][93][94][95][96][97][98][99][100]

Women belonging to religious minorities have been known to be victims of kidnappings and forced conversion to Islam.[3] Amarnath Motumal who works for Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has stated that 20 to 25 Hindu girls were kidnapped and converted every month though the exact number is impossible to estimate.[101] Sadiq Bhanbhro, Researcher on Public Health and Gender-Based Violence at Sheffield Hallam University commented he found reports of 286 girls forcibly converted from 2012 to 2017 in English-language dailies, though this number is likely higher.[102] The 2019 Religious Minorities in Pakistan report compiled by Members of the European Parliament has stated that independent NGOs estimate every year at least 1,000 girls are forcibly converted to Islam, although the number may be probably more due to under-reporting.[9] A Pakistan Muslim League politician has stated that abduction of Hindus and Sikhs is a business in Pakistan, along with conversions of Hindus to Islam.[103] Many Islamic extremists believe that it is an achievement to convert a Hindu into Islam, and to do so can earn one a blessing.[3] Abdul Haq (Mitthu Mian) is a custodian of Bharchindi Shia Dargah, who is well known for subverting the legal process in numerous cases of kidnapping of underage Hindu girls, their forced conversion to Islam and marriage to older men at this dargah, as well as inciting violence against Hindus specially by misusing blasphemy laws.[104]

Firstly underage girls are abducted from their homes or where they work, later re-appearing after having been married off to a Muslim.[3] They are often raped and then forcibly converted to Islam. To prevent her from going back home or reporting the rape to the police, she is forcibly married to the perpetrator.[3] Reports obtained by the NGO Global Human Rights Defence indicate that the perpetrators will often put a fake age of the girl on the marriage certificate to hide that she is underage.[3] When the families of the girl try to report this to the police, they are often met by biased officers who refuse to file an FIR (First Information Report). The conversions are backed by powerful religious institutions and leaders who also offer incentives to people to convert.[3] Moreover, the perpetrators will often force the victim to sign a report saying that she converted and married on her own free will, hindering the attempts of the family to have their girl returned to them. Additionally, the perpetrators will often file counter-suits against the victim's family for harassment and for attempting to convert the girl back to her former religion.[9]

According to a report from the Movement for Solidarity and Peace also cited by the European Parliament, about 1,000 non-Muslim girls are converted to Islam each year in Pakistan.[105][9] According to the Pakistan Hindu Council, religious persecution, especially forced conversions, remains the foremost reason for migration of Hindus from Pakistan. Pakistan Hindu Council estimated that about 5000 Hindus migrate from Pakistan to India every year in order to escape religious persecution.[106] Religious institutions like Bharchundi Sharif and Sarhandi Pir support forced conversions and are known to have support and protection of ruling political parties of Sindh.[107] This practice is being reported increasingly in the districts of Tharparkar, Umerkot and Mirpur Khas in Sindh.[107]

A total of 57 Hindus converted in Pasrur during May 14–19, 2010. On May 14, 35 Hindus of the same family were forced to convert by their employer because his sales dropped after Muslims started boycotting his eatable items as they were prepared by Hindus as well as their persecution by the Muslim employees of neighboring shops according to their relatives. Since the impoverished Hindu had no other way to earn and needed to keep the job to survive, they converted. 14 members of the another family converted on May 17 since no one was employing them, later another Hindu man and his family of eight under pressure from Muslims to avoid their land being grabbed.[108]

Rinkle Kumari, a 19-year Pakistani student, Lata Kumari, and Asha Kumari, a Hindu working in a beauty parlor, were allegedly forced to convert from Hinduism to Islam.[109][110] Their cases were appealed all the way to the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The appeal was admitted but remained unheard ever after.[111] Rinkle was abducted by a gang and "forced" to convert to Islam, before being head shaved.[112] Afterwards, Rinkle reportedly stated that she will stay with her husband rather than return home - her husband and the son of Mitthu Mian met her several times just before her final statement in the Supreme Court.[113] In March 2019, two Hindu minor girls were allegedly abducted on the eve of Holi and forcibly converted to Islam in Dharki, Ghotki District, Sindh.[114] A video showed them being married by a Muslim cleric and another also emerged showing the girls claiming they converted out of their own will. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered an investigation into the accusations.[115] On 11 April, Pakistan High Court let the Hindu girls live with their husbands, stated both teenage girls are adult and marry to men with their own will, parents of both girls accepted the verdict and asked for more time.[116][117][118] The court gave the verdict that the Hindu girls were not forcefully converted, abducted and they converted to Islam voluntarily and on their own will.[119][120]

In 2017, the Sikh community in Hangu district of Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province alleged that they were “being forced to convert to Islam” by a government official. Farid Chand Singh, who filed the complaint, has claimed that Assistant Commissioner Tehsil Tall Yaqoob Khan was allegedly forcing Sikhs to convert to Islam and the residents of Doaba area are being tortured religiously.[121][122] According to reports, about 60 Sikhs of Doaba had demanded security from the administration.[123]

Many Hindus voluntarily convert to Islam for easily getting Watan Cards and National Identification Cards. These converts were also given land and money. For example, 428 poor Hindus in Matli were converted between 2009 and 2011 by the Madrassa Baitul Islam, a Deobandi seminary in Matli, which pays off the debts of Hindus converting to Islam.[124] Another example is the conversion of 250 Hindus to Islam in Chohar Jamali area in Thatta.[125] Conversions are also carried out by ex-Hindu Baba Deen Mohammad Shaikh mission which converted 108,000 people to Islam since 1989.[126]

In 2017, a human rights activist claimed that, "At least 25 conversions of young Hindu girls and women take place every month in Umerkot's Kunri and Samaro talukas alone. This area is so deprived and the people, most of whom belong to the scheduled castes, are so powerless that the families know there’s no use in them reporting forced conversions to the police, let alone raising a hue and cry."[127] In 2014 alone, 265 legal cases of forced conversion were reported, mostly involving Hindu girls.[128]

In July 2019, Sindh-based activist Duo Kalhoro stated that "Current statistics estimate that every month, 20 Hindu girls are abducted and converted to Islam" in her province. She added that "Most of the victims are under the age of 18. Some as young as 11 years old. Once the girls have been married off and converted, they are prohibited from contacting their families, leaving them even more vulnerable to exploitation."[129]

Blasphemy Law

Main article: Blasphemy law in Pakistan
Further information: Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's Islamization

The Pakistan Blasphemy Law derives from section 295-C of the Pakistan Penal Code which states that whoever "defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine."[130] This law is phrased in vague terms (therefore violating the principle of legality), and is often used to level false accusations at people from religious minorities. ‘Sentences for these offences range from fines to long terms of imprisonment, and in the case of defamation of the Prophet Muhammad, a mandatory death sentence.’[3][131] 'This law thus serves as a legal justification to persecute religious minorities, or any other person, by means of false accusations in pursuit of personal vendettas or disputes'.[3] By failing to repeal this law, the government is complicit in encouraging discriminatory prosecutions.[3]

Asia Bibi is a Pakistani Christian woman who was convicted of blasphemy by a Pakistani court, receiving a sentence of death by hanging. In June 2009, Bibi was involved in an argument with a group of Muslim women with whom she had been harvesting berries after the other women grew angry with her for drinking the same water as them. She was subsequently accused of insulting the Islamic prophet Muhammad, a charge she denies, and was arrested and imprisoned. In November 2010, a Sheikhupura judge sentenced her to death. If executed, Bibi would be the first woman in Pakistan to be lawfully killed for blasphemy.[132][133][134]

In August 2012, Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl, reportedly 11 or 14 years old, and an illiterate with mental disabilities was accused of blasphemy for burning pages from a book containing Quranic verses. The allegation came from a Muslim cleric who himself has subsequently been accused by the police of framing the girl. The girl, and later the cleric, were both arrested and released on bail.[135][136][137]

In 2014 Junaid Jamshed was accused under the blasphemy law.[138] According to The Economist, Jamshed "is unable to return to Pakistan after being accused of mocking one of the Prophet’s wives in a throwaway remark about the weakness of women."[139]

In March 2017 a Hindu man Prakash Kumar was arrested on the charges of blasphemy in the province of Balochistan.[140]

Critics of the blasphemy laws have called for change.[141] In 2019, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo appealed to Pakistan to stop the misuse of the law, estimating that over 40 people were serving life sentences or facing execution for blasphemy in Pakistan. [142]

Demographics

According to 1951 census, Non-Muslims constituted 14.20% of total Pakistan's (West Pakistan and East Pakistan) population. In the West Pakistan (now Pakistan), the Non-Muslims constituted 3.44% of the total population while East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) had a significant share comprising 23.20 percent of the population therein.[4]

Much of the decrease in minorities of Pakistan has occurred due to the events around the partition of India, the wars of 1965 and 1971.[143] It has been attributed to reasons like communal violence and discrimination that minority communities face.[3] In the 1941 census of India, areas of modern Pakistan had a population of 5.9 million Non-Muslims. After the Partition of India, about 5 million Hindus and Sikhs left the country.[144]

It is estimated that 95% of Pakistanis are Muslims (75-95% Sunni,[145][146][147][148][149] 5-20% Shia).[145][146][150][151]

The Ahmadiyya have faced greater persecution since 1974 after being declared "non Muslims" over allegations that they do not recognize Muhammad as the last prophet.[152]

In addition, there have been many cases of religious persecution in of Hindus in the nation. Among these, the most recent include 19-year-old Hindu girl Rinkle Kumari from Mirpur Mathelo in Ghotki district, Sindh province who was abducted by a gang and "forced" to convert to Islam, before being head shaved.[112]

Another recent case was the gunning down of four Hindu doctors in Chak town, Shikarpur sparking fears and panic among the minority community.[153]

Education system

See also: Pakistani textbooks controversy and Curriculum issues in Pakistan studies
Further information: Madrassas in Pakistan

The 2019 report on Religious Minorities in Pakistan compiled by Members of the European Parliament found: "The curriculum in Pakistani schools includes compulsory reading of Qu’ ran, the ideology of Pakistan based on the Islam, the Jihad and Shahadat path. The textbooks in schools extend the intolerance with systematic negative portrayals of minorities, especially Hindus. While teachings avoid denoting the contribution of religious minorities to the cultural, military and civic life of Pakistan, anti-Islamic forces are declared to endanger its very existence. By historic revisionism and unsubstantiated claims which convey religious bias, the Islamic civilization is glorified while religious minorities are denigrated."[9]

In 2011 the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) released a report on the public schools and Madrassas in Pakistan. The study concluded:

  • Public school textbooks used by all children often had a strong Islamic orientation,
  • Public school and madrassa teachers had limited awareness or understanding of religious minorities and their beliefs, and were divided on whether religious minorities were citizens;
  • Teachers often expressed very negative views about Ahmadis, Christians, and Jews, and successfully transmitted these biases to their students;
  • Interviewees' expressions of tolerance often were intermixed with neutral and intolerant comments, leaving some room for improvement.[154]

Constitution

Tolerance for religious discrimination can be found in the Constitution of Pakistan. Islam is named as the religion of the state, and whilst there is a provision allowing for minorities to practice their religions, they are still subject to the principles of 'democracy, freedom, equality, tolerance and social justice as enunciated by Islam'.[9]

Certain provisions are outrightly discriminatory - such as article 41(2) which provides that only Muslims can become president, thereby denying minorities the chance to hold the highest position of power.[9] The Constitution also provides for the set up of the Islamic Council, created to safeguard Islamic ideology. The Islamic Council can shape governmental decisions, actions and policy, which creates an institutionalized priority for Islamic ideas to the detriment of religious minorities.[9]

See also

References

  1. ^ Bales, Kevin (2012). Disposable People: New Slavery in the Global Economy, Updated With a New Preface (3rd Revised ed.). University of California Press. p. 177. ISBN 978-0520272910.
  2. ^ Qasmi, Ali Usman (2015). The Ahmadis and the Politics of Religious Exclusion in Pakistan. Anthem Press. p. 149. ISBN 9781783084258. Nazim-ud-Din favored an Islamic state not just out of political expediency but also because of his deep religious belief in its efficacy and practicality...Nazim-ud-Din commented:'I do not agree that religion is a private affair of the individual nor do I agree that in an Islamic state every citizen has identical rights, no matter what his caste, creed or faith be'.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Global Human Rights Defence. "Human Rights Report 2019" (PDF). Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  4. ^ a b "No, Pakistan's non-Muslim population didn't decline". India Today. 12 December 2019.
  5. ^ Raashid, Dr Yasmin; Obstetrics, A. Leader in; Pak, gynecology in. "In Pakistan, Birth Control And Religion Clash". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  6. ^ "Pakistan's birth rate is a 'disaster in the making' as population passes 207 million". The Independent. 2017-09-10. Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  7. ^ "Study Examines How Premature Babies Develop Brain Injuries". Usnews.com. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  8. ^ "Changes in Fertility Rates Among Muslims in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh – Population Reference Bureau". Retrieved 2019-05-28.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i Members of European Parliament. "Religious Minorities in Pakistan" (PDF). Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  10. ^ "Migration from East Pakistan (1951-1961)" (PDF). The Economic Weekly. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
  11. ^ D'Costa, Bina (2011), Nationbuilding, Gender and War Crimes in South Asia, Routledge, pp. 100–, ISBN 978-0-415-56566-0
  12. ^ Census of Pakistan Archived 2010-12-22 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ "Census of Bangladesh". Banbeis.gov.bd. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 8 June 2013.
  14. ^ Stepan, Alfred (2012). Timothy Samuel Shah; Alfred C. Stepan; Monica Duffy Tof (eds.). Rethinking Religion and World Affairs. Oxford University Press. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-0199827978.
  15. ^ World Report 2012: Pakistan - Human Rights Watch. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2015. {{cite book}}: |website= ignored (help)
  16. ^ "Daily Times". Daily Times. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  17. ^ "Pakistan: The State of Human Rights in 2011". Humanrightsasia.com. Archived from the original on 2 September 2012. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  18. ^ "Sindh Assembly urged to reject forced conversion bill". Dawn. 30 April 2019. Retrieved 30 August 2020.
  19. ^ "Sindh Assembly passes bill against forced religious conversions". The Express Tribune. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  20. ^ "1,000 Christian, Hindu girls forced to convert to Islam every year in Pakistan: report | Pakistan Today". Pakistantoday.com.pk. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  21. ^ "Pak. forms parliamentary committee to prevent forced conversions of minorities". The Hindu. 23 November 2019.
  22. ^ COVID-19: Hindus denied food supplies in Pakistan's Karachi Archived 3 April 2020 at the Wayback Machine, Business Standard, 30 March 2020.
  23. ^ Shafique Khokhar, Coronavirus: Karachi NGO denies food to poor Hindus and Christians, Asia News (Italy), 30 March 2020.
  24. ^ USCIRF says ‘troubled’ by denial of food to Pakistani Hindus, Christians amid Covid-19 crisis, Hindustan Times, 14 April 2020.
  25. ^ "Violence Towards Religious Communities in Pakistan" (PDF). USCIRF. August 2014.
  26. ^ "Pak Hindus not treated equally under law". Zeenews.india.com. April 20, 2012. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  27. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2018-08-09. Retrieved 2018-05-29.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  28. ^ "Pakistan: USCIRF condemns attack on Ahmadi community; Calls for repeal of blasphemy law". Uscirf.gov. 28 May 2010.
  29. ^ "UN experts urge Pakistan to act after religious minority members killed". News.un.org. 28 May 2010. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  30. ^ a b Perlez, Jane (May 28, 2010). "Attackers Hit Mosques of Islamic Sect in Pakistan". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  31. ^ "Culture of intolerance". Dawn. May 30, 2010. Retrieved 30 May 2010.
  32. ^ a b "Pakistan's Ahmadi community releases damning persecution report". Reuters.com. 28 April 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  33. ^ "Pakistan's Ahmadi Muslims Fear Renewed Discrimination". Voanews.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  34. ^ "Why are Pakistan's Christians targeted?". Bbc.com. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  35. ^ "Suicide bombers attack historic church in Peshawar, 60 killed". Zee News. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  36. ^ "GHRD: Article". Global Human Rights Defense. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  37. ^ "40 die in Pakistan bombing". BBC News. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  38. ^ "Twin church blasts claims 66 lives in Peshawar". Dawn. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  39. ^ "Suicide bomb attack kills 60 at Pakistan church". Associated Press via The Los Angeles Times. 22 September 2013. Archived from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  40. ^ "Two blasts at Lahore churches claim 15 lives - PAKISTAN - geo.tv". geo.tv. 15 March 2015.
  41. ^ Agencies - Imran Gabol - Nadeem Haider - Waseem Riaz - Abbas Haider - Akbar Ali (15 March 2015). "15 killed in Taliban attack on Lahore churches". dawn.com.
  42. ^ "Worshippers killed in Pakistan church bombings". aljazeera.com.
  43. ^ Abdul Sattar (December 17, 2017). "Suicide bombers attack church in Pakistan, killing 9". Chicago Tribune.
  44. ^ Tanner, Georeen (13 April 2017). "Christian persecution: How many are being killed, where they are being killed". Fox News. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  45. ^ "Pakistan". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  46. ^ "Minority rights: Another Hindu temple demolished - The Express Tribune". The Express Tribune. 2017-01-21. Retrieved 2017-06-13.
  47. ^ "Another temple is no more". Dawn.com. May 28, 2006. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  48. ^ "Hindus attacked in Pakistan". Oneindia.in. 13 July 2010.
  49. ^ "Pakistan a Graveyard of Muslims". The New Indian Express. 16 September 2018.
  50. ^ a b "Hindu temple guard gunned down in Peshawar". Newsweek Pakistan. AG Publications (Private) Limited. Agence France-Presse. 26 January 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  51. ^ Hindu temple set on fire in Pakistan over blasphemy, Reuters, March 16, 2014
  52. ^ Mob sets fire to Hindu community center in Pak over ‘blasphemy’, Firstpost, March 15, 2014
  53. ^ Pakistan mob sets ablaze Hindu temple over desecration of Koran, Economic Times, April 16, 2014
  54. ^ Hindu temple set on fire in Pakistan over alleged blasphemy, Indian Express, March 16, 2014
  55. ^ a b Gishkori, Zahid (25 March 2014). "95% of worship places put to commercial use: Survey". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 13 October 2017.
  56. ^ Sarfraz, Mehmal (April 13, 2019). "In Pakistan, the problem of forced conversions". The Hindu.
  57. ^ "Pakistan Punjab province minister sacked over anti-Hindu remarks". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  58. ^ "Pakistan: Minister sacked for anti-Hindu remarks". National Herald. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  59. ^ "Pakistan minister Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan resigns over anti-Hindu remarks". India Today. 5 March 2019.
  60. ^ a b "Pakistan to restore, hand over 400 Hindu temples". India Today. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  61. ^ a b "Govt to restore, reopen historic Hindu temples | The Express Tribune". tribune.com.pk. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  62. ^ https://www.indiatoday.in/world/video/over-60-hindus-forcibly-converted-to-islam-in-pakistan-s-sindh-1826989-2021-07-12
  63. ^ "Pakistanis Attack 30 Hindu Temples". The New York Times. 1992-12-07. Retrieved 2011-04-15. Muslims attacked more than 30 Hindu temples across Pakistan today, and the Government of this overwhelmingly Muslim nation closed offices and schools for a day to protest the destruction of a mosque in India.
  64. ^ Pakistan's attempt to erase all signs of its non-Islamic past runs up against popular imagination, Scroll.in, 9 August 2015
  65. ^ Rizvi, Uzair Hasan (10 September 2015). "Hindu refugees from Pakistan encounter suspicion and indifference in India". Dawn.
  66. ^ Haider, Irfan (13 May 2014). "5,000 Hindus migrating to India every year, NA told". Dawn.com. Retrieved 2016-01-15.
  67. ^ "Pakistan is in denial over spreading sectarian violence". The Guardian. 19 April 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  68. ^ "BBC News – Pakistan sectarian bus attack in Kohistan kills 18". Bbc.co.uk. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 2012-03-19.
  69. ^ "Pakistan's threat within: The Sunni-Shia divide". The Express Tribune. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  70. ^ "Pakistan: Shia Killings Escalate". Human Rights Watch. 5 September 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  71. ^ "The Rising Threat Against Shia Muslims in Pakistan". The Wire. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  72. ^ "Pak authorities should urgently reform 'draconian' blasphemy laws: European think tank". European Foundation for South Asian Studies (EFSAS). 7 April 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
  73. ^ "Anti-Shiite protest rattles Pakistan's Karachi". 11 September 2020.
  74. ^ "HazaraMines". January 18, 2021. Retrieved 2019-03-17.
  75. ^ "Blackmail". January 11, 2021.
  76. ^ How Pakhtun Sikhs fleeing the Taliban made Nankana Sahib a cultural hub, Dawn, 9 January 2018
  77. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2019-04-28. Retrieved 2019-03-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  78. ^ "Sikh leader shot dead in Pakistan's Peshawar - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  79. ^ "Protesters surround Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, disperse after negotiations". Dawn.com. 3 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  80. ^ "Politicians across spectrum react to Nankana Sahib stone pelting". Indian Express. 4 January 2020. Retrieved 2020-01-04.
  81. ^ "Pakistan Gurdwara honouring Sikh martyr converted into mosque". Sikh Press Association. 27 July 2020.
  82. ^ "Takeover of Bhai Taru Singh Ji Gurdwara in Pakistan: SGPC and PSGPC presidents condemn incident". Sikh 24. 28 July 2020.
  83. ^ "Deadly blasts hit Sufi shrine in Lahore". BBC. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  84. ^ Tavernise, Sabrina (1 July 2010). "Blasts at Sufi Shrine in Pakistan Kill at Least 35". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 July 2010.
  85. ^ Patel, Pravin J. (2014). "The Popularity of 'Valentine Day': A Sociological Perspective". Economic and Political Weekly. 49 (19): 19–21. JSTOR 24479574.
  86. ^ a b "Love is in the air, but not on airwaves as Pakistan bans Valentine's Day". Reuters. 2018-02-08. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  87. ^ "All you need is love". DAWN.COM. 2019-01-16. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  88. ^ Hadid, Diaa; Sattar, Abdul (14 February 2018). "In Pakistan, Valentine's Day Brings Out Roses And Culture Wars". NPR. Retrieved 2020-01-26.
  89. ^ Nazish, Kiran. "Love and Politics: Valentine's Day in Pakistan". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2020-02-02.
  90. ^ https://www.dawn.com/news/1098452
  91. ^ https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/year-1000-pakistani-girls-forcibly-converted-islam-74930532
  92. ^ https://www.indiatoday.in/world/pakistan/story/1000-christian-hindu-girls-forced-to-convert-to-islam-every-year-in-pakistan-report-188177-2014-04-08
  93. ^ https://www.bbc.com/news/stories-56337182
  94. ^ https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/51401-1000-girls-forcibly-converted-to-islam-in-pakistan-every-year
  95. ^ https://www.udayavani.com/english-news/each-year-1000-pakistani-girls-are-forcibly-converted-to-islam
  96. ^ https://www.dtnext.in/News/World/2020/12/30103727/1268895/Each-year-1000-Pakistani-girls-forcibly-converted-.vpf
  97. ^ https://www.forbes.com/sites/ewelinaochab/2021/02/05/another-religious-minority-girl-kidnapped-raped-and-chained-up-by-her-abductor-in-pakistan/?sh=4032e56c4f11
  98. ^ https://www.newslaundry.com/2021/06/26/the-curious-case-of-1000-conversions-who-is-umar-gautam
  99. ^ https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2014/8/18/forced-conversions-torment-pakistans-hindus
  100. ^ https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/in-pakistan-the-problem-of-forced-conversions/article26823108.ece
  101. ^ 25 Hindu girls abducted every month, claims HRCP official The News International
  102. ^ Forced conversions of Hindu girls in Pakistan make a mockery of its constitution The Conversation
  103. ^ Abduction of Hindus, Sikhs have become a business in Pak: PML MP Times of India – 28 August 2011
  104. ^ Who Is Mian Mithu?, Naya Daur, September 16, 2019
  105. ^ "1,000 Christian, Hindu girls forced to convert to Islam every year in Pakistan: report". Indiatoday.in. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  106. ^ "Pakistani Hindus lose daughters to forced Muslim marriages". USA Today. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  107. ^ a b "Forced conversions of Pakistani Hindu girls". Dailytimes.com.pk. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  108. ^ Manan, Abdul (25 May 2010). "57 Hindus convert to Islam in 10 days". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  109. ^ "Opinion: Rinkle Kumari – the new Marvi of Sindh by Marvi Sirmed". Thefridaytimes.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-03. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  110. ^ "SC orders release of Rinkle Kumari, others". Pakistan Observer. April 19, 2012. Archived from the original on 2014-02-21. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
  111. ^ Tribune.com.pk (7 December 2016). "Curbs on forced conversion". The Express Tribune.
  112. ^ a b Walsh, Declan (25 March 2012). "Pakistani Hindus Say Woman's Conversion to Islam Was Coerced". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  113. ^ "Brides of Despair". The New Indian Express. 31 March 2019. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  114. ^ "Two Hindu girls abducted on Holi eve in Pakistan's Sindh". Times of India. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  115. ^ "Pakistan PM Orders Probe Into Alleged Kidnapping Of 2 Hindu Girls: Minister". NDTV. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
  116. ^ "Hindu sisters not forcibly converted, allowed to live with husbands: Pakistan court - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  117. ^ "Pakistan court lets converted Hindu girls live with husbands | Fox News". Foxnews.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  118. ^ "IHC allows Ghotki sisters to reunite with husbands". The Express Tribune. 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  119. ^ "Pakistan court rules teenage Hindu girls converted to Islam..." Reuters. 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  120. ^ "Hindu Girls Were Not Forcibly Converted To Islam, Says Pak Court". Ndtv.com. Retrieved 2019-04-11.
  121. ^ "Sikhs in Pakistan 'being forced to convert to Islam'". Tribuneindia.com. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  122. ^ "Sikh community in Hangu 'being forced to convert'". The Express Tribune. 16 December 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  123. ^ "'Conversion' of Pakistan Sikhs: CM Amarinder seeks Sushma's help - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  124. ^ "Mass conversions: For Matli's poor Hindus, 'lakshmi' lies in another religion". The Express Tribune. 21 January 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  125. ^ admin (17 September 2017). "Pakistan: 250 Hindus convert to Islam in its notorious town". Currentriggers.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  126. ^ "100,000 conversions and counting, meet the ex-Hindu who herds souls to the Hereafter". The Express Tribune. 23 January 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  127. ^ "The truth about forced conversions in Thar". Dawn.com. 17 July 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  128. ^ Ilyas, Faiza (20 March 2015). "265 cases of forced conversion reported last year, moot told". Dawn.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  129. ^ "Hindus in Pakistan not free to exercise religious freedom, says Sindhi activist Duo Kalhoro". Aninews.in. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  130. ^ "Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860)". Retrieved 3 June 2019.
  131. ^ International Commission of Jurists (2015). "On Trial: The Implementation of Pakistan's Blasphemy Laws" (PDF). Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  132. ^ Hussain, Waqar (11 November 2010). "Christian Woman Sentenced to Death". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 14 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  133. ^ Crilly, Rob; Sahi, Aoun (9 November 2010). "Christian Woman sentenced to Death in Pakistan for blasphemy". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 11 November 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2010.
  134. ^ "Fear for Pakistan's death row Christian woman". BBC News. 5 December 2010. Archived from the original on 6 December 2010. Retrieved 5 December 2010.
  135. ^ "Girl held in Pakistan, accused of burning Quran pages". Edition.cnn.com. 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  136. ^ Masood, Salman (12 October 2012). "Pakistani in Hiding After Blasphemy Claim, Police Say". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  137. ^ "Pakistani activists alarmed by threats to minorities". Deutsche Welle. 21 Aug 2012.
  138. ^ "Pakistan's blasphemy laws backfire on religious groups". Deutsche Welle. 5 Dec 2014.
  139. ^ "Freedom of speech: The sound of silence". The Economist. 24 January 2015. Retrieved 31 January 2015.
  140. ^ "Balochistan violence: One dies after Hindu man arrested for 'blasphemy". Business Standard India. 2017-05-04. Retrieved 2017-05-16.
  141. ^ "Minorities fear for their lives in Pakistan". Deutsche Welle. 25 Feb 2013.
  142. ^ "US Asks Pakistan to Step Up Efforts on Curbing Misuse of Blasphemy Laws, Has Tough Words for China Too". News18.
  143. ^ Farahnaz Ispahani. "Cleansing Pakistan of Minorities" (PDF). Hudson.org. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  144. ^ L.A. Kosinski, K.M. Elahi (2012). Population Redistribution and Development in South Asia. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 136. ISBN 9789400953093.
  145. ^ a b "Country Profile: Pakistan" (PDF). Library of Congress Country Studies on Pakistan. Library of Congress. February 2005. Retrieved 2010-09-01. Religion: The overwhelming majority of the population (96.3 percent) is Muslim, of whom approximately 95 percent are Sunni and 5 percent Shia.
  146. ^ a b "Religions: Muslim 95% (Sunni 75%, Shia 20%), other". Pakistan (includes Christian and Hindu) 5%. The World Factbook. CIA. 2010. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  147. ^ "Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population". Pew Research Center. October 7, 2009. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  148. ^ Miller, Tracy, ed. (October 2009). Mapping the Global Muslim Population: A Report on the Size and Distribution of the World's Muslim Population (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-10-10. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  149. ^ "Pakistan - International Religious Freedom Report 2008". United States Department of State. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
  150. ^ "The World's Muslims: Unity and Diversity". Pew Research Center. 9 August 2012. Retrieved 26 December 2016. On the other hand, in Pakistan, where 6% of the survey respondents identify as Shia, Sunni attitudes are more mixed: 50% say Shias are Muslims, while 41% say they are not.
  151. ^ "Field Listing : Religions". The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency. 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2010.
  152. ^ Basu, Subho (2010). Riaz, Ali (ed.). Religion and Politics in South Asia (1st ed.). Routledge. p. 121. ISBN 978-0415778008.
  153. ^ "Four Hindu doctors gunned down in Pakistan". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 3 January 2014. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  154. ^ Leo, Leonard. "Pakistan's Educational System Fuels Religious Discrimination". USCIRF.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Religious_discrimination_in_Pakistan&oldid=1053598593"