The rise in religious discrimination against minorities in curriculum and textbooks during the year 2022 has been highlighted in a Human Rights Observer information document from 2023.
The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) released its yearly information sheet, “Human Rights Observer 2023,” on Thursday. The report focused on five major problems that have an effect on Pakistan’s religious minorities, including:
Discrimination in the educational system, frequency of coerced changes to religion, abuse of anti-blasphemy legislation, National Commission for Minorities was established, Pardons for inmates of color.
The report’s summary revealed that between 1987 and 2022, at least 2,120 people had been charged of heresy. Over 75 percent of Punjab’s blasphemy laws have been used unlawfully in the past 36 years, and the study found that 52 percent of those charged belonged to minorities despite their low percentage (3.52 percent) in Pakistan’s population.
In addition, 124 documented instances of coerced conversions of girls and women from minority communities—81 Hindu, 42 Christian, and one Sikh—were examined. Only 12 percent of the casualties were adults, and 28 percent of the victims’ ages were unknown.
Despite the fact that this provision had been offered to Muslim inmates since 1978, the information sheet claimed that no progress had been made in giving amnesty to minority offenders during 2022.
The official National Commission for Minorities (NCM) hadn’t yet been established. A weak and unbalanced draught has reportedly been submitted to lawmakers in March 2023, which could lead to further delays and the eventual creation of the NCM.
“The annual fact sheet carried recommendations to address the issues along with practical steps for the realization and protection of the rights of minorities,” said Peter Jacob, publisher of the Human Rights Observer and executive head of the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ).
