Pakistan rights group presses for action on forced conversions

By AI, Created 10:18 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – IRF Roundtable Pakistan called for stronger protections for religious minorities after an urgent consultation in Karachi on May 2, 2026. The group urged enforcement of existing and proposed laws to curb forced conversions, forced marriages and misuse of blasphemy laws, especially against minority women and children.

Why it matters: - IRF Roundtable Pakistan says religious discrimination, forced conversions and forced marriages continue to put Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other minority communities at risk. - The group framed the issue as a child-protection and women’s-rights problem as much as a religious-freedom issue. - The consultation linked legal reforms to day-to-day safety, arguing that new laws will not matter without enforcement and accountability.

What happened: - IRF Roundtable Pakistan held an urgent consultation in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan, on May 2, 2026. - Faith leaders, human rights advocates, journalists and civil society representatives reviewed the status of religious minorities in Pakistan. - Participants called for stronger protections for Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other vulnerable minority communities. - Kashif Mirza, director of IRF Roundtable Pakistan, said children have become among the worst victims of religious discrimination and urged equal protection for every child, woman and minority citizen. - Anila Ali, co-chair of IRF Roundtable Pakistan and president of AMMWEC, called for urgent action to end forced conversions and forced marriages.

The details: - The consultation highlighted minority-rights and communal-property protection bills introduced in Punjab by Christian legislator Falbous Christopher. - Participants also pointed to Pakistan’s National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025, which Parliament passed in December 2025. - Attendees welcomed the legislative steps but said Pakistan must also deliver real enforcement, accountability and protection on the ground. - Ali said any change of religion or belief must be free from coercion and marriage must rest on full and free consent. - The meeting echoed warnings from international religious freedom experts about abduction and forced religious conversion through marriage affecting women and girls from minority communities. - Participants also raised concerns about misuse of blasphemy laws, including reports that hundreds of people have been falsely accused through organized schemes of blackmail, intimidation and extortion. - IRF Roundtable Pakistan urged the government to address root causes including gender inequality, poverty, social exclusion, discrimination against religious minorities, religious intolerance, weak enforcement of the law and a culture of impunity.

Between the lines: - The consultation suggests Pakistan’s debate is shifting from recognition of abuse to pressure for measurable state response. - The focus on minority girls and children underscores that religious-freedom violations often overlap with gender-based violence and economic vulnerability. - The repeated call for accountability signals skepticism that legislation alone can change conditions without police, courts and local officials acting consistently.

What’s next: - IRF Roundtable Pakistan wants the government to strengthen legal protections, protect minority places of worship and communal property, and safeguard women and children. - The group is also pressing Pakistan to uphold the constitutional promise of equality for all citizens. - Further advocacy is likely to center on whether Punjab and federal authorities convert new bills and commissions into enforcement.

The bottom line: - The Karachi consultation turned a broad human-rights complaint into a clear demand: Pakistan must stop forced conversions and religious discrimination, and prove it with enforcement.