In Pakistan, atrocities against minority women worsen; forced conversion cases surge

In the latest revelation uncovering atrocities faced by minority women in Pakistan, around 1,000 women belonging to Christian and Hindu communities are forced to convert to Islam every year. Ashiknaz Khokhar, a human rights activist has noted that the kidnapping of minor girls from religious minorities is a common occurrence in Pakistan, as per Greek city Times. Khokhar also said that the Pakistan government is not taking the issue of forced conversions seriously and parliament recently even refused to pass the bill on the issue. 

He reportedly said, “The (Pakistan) government is not taking this issue seriously and parliament recently refused to pass the bill on forced conversion.”

“Every year about 1,000 Christian and Hindu girls are forced to convert to Islam. There is a dire need for a dedicated law to protect minority girls."

Citing another incident from Pakistan’s Punjab province, the media outlet also reported that one more Christian girl was abducted by a Muslim in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Mentioning a report by Asia News, Greek City Times stated that 12-year-old Meerab Abbas was taken by Muhammad Daud, a native of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. 

6,754 women abducted in first half of 2021

The suffering that women in Pakistan are subjected to is increasing each day. The latest report has stated that around 6,754 women were kidnapped in the country’s Punjab province in the first half of 2021. Out of those, 1,890 women were raped, 3,721 were tortured and 752 children were raped, according to Duniya News. The fresh report came on 30 August after the board of Trustees of Transparency International Pakistan (TIP) flagged its concerns over the increasing attacks on women in the country.

As per the media report, in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, there were nearly 34 official incidents of rape but only 27 incidents were widely reported in the media. Furthermore, while the number of official incidents of violence recorded in Punjab was 3,721, only 938 cases were reported in the media in the country. 

Earlier in August this year, TIP Vice-Chairperson Justice (R) Nasirah Iqbal has also noted that Pakistan’s founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah had hopes that both men and women would work in synergy but the authorities failed to work on the decades-old vision. She stressed that for women in Pakistan to feel safe, the perpetrators of crimes against them must be brought to justice. Meanwhile, The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) annual report released in June, this year raised alarm over the situation of women in the country. 

(IMAGE: Pixabay/Representative)