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Hindustan Times
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
UK parliamentary panel slams Pakistan for state-backed persecution of minorities
The All Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) organised a session at the UK Parliament's Committee Room 7, to expose the ongoing religious persecution of minorities in Pakistan. UK Parliamentarians, human rights advocates, and community representatives provided testimony and presented documented evidence revealing that atrocities against minorities in Pakistan are not isolated incidents. (Representational image/AFP) The gathering brought to light the systematic and state-sponsored nature of these abuses, painting a grim picture of life for religious minorities under the shadow of Pakistan's military and political machinery. Parliamentarians, human rights advocates, and community representatives provided testimony and presented documented evidence revealing that atrocities against Hindus, Christians, Shias, and Ahmadis are not isolated incidents. Instead, they are part of a deliberate strategy executed with the backing of the Pakistani state and military establishment. UK MP Jim Shannon, who is a vocal advocate for global religious freedoms, opened the session with strong condemnation of Pakistan's role, stating that these crimes represent an orchestrated campaign of oppression rather than rogue acts of extremism. One of the most harrowing issues raised was the large-scale abduction and forced religious conversion of minor girls from Hindu and Christian communities, particularly in the Sindh province. It is estimated that between 500 and 1,000 girls are abducted each year, often trafficked through religious shrines run by politically connected clerics operating with the protection of the state and army. The discussion also highlighted a disturbing pattern of attacks on religious sites, including Hindu temples and dharamshalas, that are frequently burned down in coordinated assaults. These attacks, such as the 2023 rocket attack on a temple in Kashmir, are carried out with impunity and have contributed to a growing climate of fear among minority populations. The panel emphasised that these acts are not random but appear to be part of a broader effort to erase the cultural and religious heritage of non-Muslim communities. The targeting of Shia Muslims and Ahmadis was also addressed, with testimonies pointing to enforced disappearances, sectarian violence, and the systematic denial of religious rights. In many cases, law enforcement agencies are either inactive or complicit, emboldening extremist groups to operate without consequence. The resulting fear and insecurity have driven thousands of minority families, particularly in Sindh, to flee their ancestral homes. Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement (JSFM) Chairman Sohail Abro, along with representatives from the Christian and Ahmadiyya communities, called on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable. The session was also attended by UK MPs Fleur Anderson and David Smith, the latter of whom presented detailed statistics and firsthand accounts documenting Pakistan's human rights violations. Representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Global British League (JKGBL), including Ayub Iqbal and Hasam Rafique, lent their support and expressed solidarity with persecuted communities. The session concluded with an urgent call to action for the international community to no longer turn a blind eye to the religious persecution unfolding in Pakistan under the protection of its state and military apparatus. Delegates and experts emphasised the need for immediate international condemnation and accountability, urging independent investigations into forced conversions, child abductions, and attacks on religious institutions. The panel also called for targeted sanctions against those in the Pakistani military and political establishment found responsible for these grave abuses, in line with the UK's Magnitsky framework. Furthermore, they stressed the importance of including Pakistan's religious persecution in both the UN Human Rights Council's agenda and the UK's annual report on Freedom of Religion or Belief.
India Gazette
04-07-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
Religious persecution of minorities in Pakistan exposed at UK Parliament, state and military-backed atrocities unveiled
London [UK], July 4 (ANI): The All Party Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief (APPG FoRB) organised a session at the UK Parliament's Committee Room 7, to expose the ongoing religious persecution of minorities in Pakistan. The gathering brought to light the systematic and state-sponsored nature of these abuses, painting a grim picture of life for religious minorities under the shadow of Pakistan's military and political machinery. Parliamentarians, human rights advocates, and community representatives provided testimony and presented documented evidence revealing that atrocities against Hindus, Christians, Shias, and Ahmadis are not isolated incidents. Instead, they are part of a deliberate strategy executed with the backing of the Pakistani state and military establishment. UK MP Jim Shannon, who is a vocal advocate for global religious freedoms, opened the session with strong condemnation of Pakistan's role, stating that these crimes represent an orchestrated campaign of oppression rather than rogue acts of extremism. One of the most harrowing issues raised was the large-scale abduction and forced religious conversion of minor girls from Hindu and Christian communities, particularly in the Sindh province. It is estimated that between 500 and 1,000 girls are abducted each year, often trafficked through religious shrines run by politically connected clerics operating with the protection of the state and army. The discussion also highlighted a disturbing pattern of attacks on religious sites, including Hindu temples and dharamshalas, that are frequently burned down in coordinated assaults. These attacks, such as the 2023 rocket attack on a temple in Kashmir, are carried out with impunity and have contributed to a growing climate of fear among minority populations. The panel emphasised that these acts are not random but appear to be part of a broader effort to erase the cultural and religious heritage of non-Muslim communities. The targeting of Shia Muslims and Ahmadis was also addressed, with testimonies pointing to enforced disappearances, sectarian violence, and the systematic denial of religious rights. In many cases, law enforcement agencies are either inactive or complicit, emboldening extremist groups to operate without consequence. The resulting fear and insecurity have driven thousands of minority families, particularly in Sindh, to flee their ancestral homes. Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement (JSFM) Chairman Sohail Abro, along with representatives from the Christian and Ahmadiyya communities, called on the international community to hold Pakistan accountable. The session was also attended by UK MPs Fleur Anderson and David Smith, the latter of whom presented detailed statistics and firsthand accounts documenting Pakistan's human rights violations. Representatives of the Jammu and Kashmir Global British League (JKGBL), including Ayub Iqbal and Hasam Rafique, lent their support and expressed solidarity with persecuted communities. The session concluded with an urgent call to action for the international community to no longer turn a blind eye to the religious persecution unfolding in Pakistan under the protection of its state and military apparatus. Delegates and experts emphasised the need for immediate international condemnation and accountability, urging independent investigations into forced conversions, child abductions, and attacks on religious institutions. The panel also called for targeted sanctions against those in the Pakistani military and political establishment found responsible for these grave abuses, in line with the UK's Magnitsky framework. Furthermore, they stressed the importance of including Pakistan's religious persecution in both the UN Human Rights Council's agenda and the UK's annual report on Freedom of Religion or Belief. (ANI)
Time of India
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
After Balochistan, freedom calls grow in Sindh as protesters slam Pakistan's human rights violations
ANI photo Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement ( JSFM ), a political group advocating for Sindhu Desh, staged a peaceful sit-in protest on a highway in Pakistan on Friday, demanding the release of missing and jailed Sindhi nationalists. With traffic halted and slogans echoing through the air, the group sought global attention to enforced disappearances , illegal detentions, and human rights abuses in Sindh and Balochistan. JSFM leaders, including chairman Sohail Abro, Zubair Sindhi, and Amar Azadi, called for the immediate release of Zahid Channa, Sajad Channa, Adnan Baloch, Badshah Baloch, Rafiqat Manghanhar, and Shahid Soomro. They also demanded that false charges against them be withdrawn and that all forcibly arrested persons be freed. "This peaceful sit-in serves as a protest against the unlawful arrests of our nationalist activists, the abuses occurring in jails, and the enforced disappearances. Our effort is peaceful and democratic, and we will persist until our people are free," the collective statement read. The protestors warned the Hyderabad Jail authorities against further mistreatment of detainees and threatened to block the prison's main gate if abuse continued. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Costco Shoppers Say This Wrinkle Cream Is "Actually Worth It" The Skincare Magazine Undo They also called out to international organisations like the UN, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch, urging intervention and global condemnation of Pakistan's rights violations. Human rights violations in Sindh A 2022 US State Department report, had pointed out widespread cases of extrajudicial killings and the recovery of mutilated bodies across Sindh. In 2024, Abro had also appealed for help in the case of Priya Kumari, a missing Hindu girl, stressing rising cases of forced conversions and marriages to Muslim men. Sindhis have been historically struggling for identity and autonomy. They accuse the Pakistani state of erasing local culture through systemic oppression—citing Urdu imposition, the 'One unit' policy, and historic land grabs like the removal of Karachi from Sindh. Meanwhile, in related developments, Balochistan declared independence from Pakistan this week. On social media, hashtags like #RepublicOfBalochistan trended, with users sharing proposed flags and maps.
