Islamabad, Oct 10 — Pakistan’s religious minorities continued to face violence, discrimination and persecution throughout 2025, with blasphemy accusations and minority women and girls remaining at risk of abduction, forced conversion and forced marriage, a minority rights organisation said, citing a report by the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP).
The Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM) referred to the 2026 human rights report of the NCJP, a human rights body of the Pakistan Catholic Bishops’ Conference that recorded eight Christians accused of blasphemy during the year, and documented 35 incidents affecting women, girls and families.
It added that one case involved 15-year-old Hindu girl Premi Bheel, who was reportedly abducted, forcibly converted and married in December, while local police allegedly refused to register her complaint.
Expressing grave concern over the alarming trend of violence against minorities, the VOPM said that these are not isolated incidents but reflect a system in which vulnerable citizens are often denied equal protection under the law.
Citing the findings, the rights body highlighted deadly violence against the Christian minorities in Pakistan. Kashif Masih, a Christian labourer from Sialkot, was allegedly tortured to death after being accused of stealing a mobile phone.
The report noted that police initially failed to register the incident as murder, prompting protests from the Christian community.
Highlighting the relentless brutalities against minorities, the rights body further said Afzal Masih was shot dead in September last year while travelling with Christian pilgrims after reportedly confronting men who had harassed female passengers.
Accountability for attacks on minorities remains painfully weak, the VOPM said, noting that two years after the 2023 attacks in Jaranwala city of Punjab province, in which more than 25 churches and 85 Christian homes were damaged, the perpetrators had still not been convicted, according to the report.
Emphasising that legislation alone will not end persecution, the VOPM said, “Pakistan must enforce equal citizenship, protect places of worship, prosecute attackers and defend minority women and children. A country cannot claim religious heritage while allowing part of its population to live in fear.”
“The NCJP’s warning is clear: minorities will remain invisible unless the state treats their rights as a constitutional duty, not a matter of political choice,” it added.