Minorities in Pakistan continue to face rights violations despite legislative measures to protect them: HRCP

LAHORE: The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Thursday concluded that religious minorities continue to face violations of their fundamental rights — including through the misuse of blasphemy laws, forced marriages and conversions, hate speech and discriminatory practices — despite recent legislative measures aimed at protecting them. In its seventh annual report on freedom of religion, titled “Sanctuary Denied: Freedom of Religion or Belief in 2025/26”, and an accompanying press release, the HRCP highlighted that scores of individuals accused of blasphemy remained in legal limbo,…