Lesser citizens

FOR decades, discrimination and prejudice have narrowed the space for the country’s minority communities. The HRCP has warned that non-Muslim groups subjected to the misuse of the blasphemy laws as well as forced marriages and conversions endure constant violations of basic liberties. Its new report on the freedom of religion and belief welcomes the National Commission for Minorities Act, 2025 , and laws in Punjab and Balochistan that set 18 as the minimum age of marriage, but expresses concerns about enforcement. The report highlights multiple aspects of exclusion — the legal limbo facing…