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The Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) on Wednesday released a damning report on the first quarter of 2025, spotlighting a sharp rise in victimisation rates and challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan.
The organisation condemned the escalating abuses, noting that relief and justice remain elusive due to resource constraints and the emboldened mindset of perpetrators, often backed by influential religious and political figures. HRFP President Naveed Walter, addressing the findings, stated, "Religious minorities in Pakistan are easier targets for attacks, murders, blasphemy charges, abductions, forced conversions, and forced marriages. The lack of attention to their suffering and neglect is even more painful." He pointed to a surge in incidents since January 2025, citing cases like Wasif Masih, a Christian youth from Chak Jhumra, Faisalabad, falsely accused of theft, assaulted, and publicly humiliated with black paint on his face. The report detailed harrowing cases, including the abduction of 12-year-old Ariha Gulzar from Okara on January 20, who was forcibly converted and married to her abductor, Sajjad Baloch, with her family still fighting for her release amid threats. Similarly, Javed Masih, a 30-year-old shopkeeper from Sahiwal, was brutally attacked on February 11 over a fabricated blasphemy claim after a pricing dispute, forcing him into hiding. Shahnaz Bibi, 24, from Pattoki, was faced with abduction and forced conversion on February 20, amplifying concerns within the Christian diaspora. Other incidents include Mehwish Nazir from Faisalabad, accused of theft by her employers on February 6 due to her faith, with her brother Rehman still imprisoned, and Farhan Masih from Sahiwal, falsely charged with blasphemy on January 26, pushing his family into financial ruin. Walter also flagged ongoing cases like Akash Karamat's 17-month imprisonment on blasphemy charges and the mysterious death of 16-year-old Samia Boota in Lahore on March 1, treated as murder. The report highlighted communal unrest, such as protests in Khaliq Nagar, Lahore, on March 20 over flooding of dirty water, and the desecration of a Christian cemetery in Narowal in February for land-grabbing. A church fire in Sargodha on February 23, officially attributed to a short circuit, destroyed the UP Church, with HRFP urging a thorough probe. Walter noted, "HRFP's REAT Helpline received over 400 calls in the first three months of 2025, mostly about religious persecution." HRFP called for independent investigations into the rising blasphemy cases, particularly those involving minors, as advocates press for systemic change to protect Pakistan's vulnerable minorities. (ANI)
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