Hindus hardest hit amid misuse of blasphemy laws in Pakistan: Report

Islamabad, Sep 22 (IANS) Pakistan’s misplaced priorities are starkly visible in the ruthless use of blasphemy laws and religious vigilantism against Hindus and Sindhis, a report said on Monday. 

Hindus, it said, bear the brunt of these skewed priorities as blasphemy allegations, often fabricated over personal disputes or prejudices, have become tools of terror against non-Muslims.

According to a report in the leading Sri Lankan newspaper The Daily Mirror, the number of such cases have surged over the past three years in Pakistan. In 2024 alone, at least 475 cases were registered– an alarming rise in numbers reflecting how easily the law is abused in the country.

“A mere accusation of 'blasphemy' can unleash murderous mobs. Vigilantes have repeatedly lynched accused individuals, and entire minority communities have been attacked after such claims. Expectedly, the perpetrators of this violence are almost never punished, emboldening further atrocities. Instead, the Pakistani state panders to Islamist extremists: police frequently refuse to protect those targeted and sometimes even join the frenzy,” the report detailed.

“In effect, blasphemy laws provide an open license to settle scores with minorities. For Pakistan’s Hindus, this means any random rumor or false allegation can lead to their home being burned or a loved one being killed, with little hope of justice,” it added.

Beyond blasphemy, the report said, Hindus in Pakistan are subjected to forced conversion and cultural erasure. In 2025, there has been a disturbing trend of Hindu girls and even children being abducted and coerced into converting to Islam.

In an outrageous act, the report said, in June, four Hindu youths, including three teenage girls, were abducted in Pakistan's Sindh province and forcibly converted.

The report noted that a local court’s acceptance of the claim that the minors had willingly changed their religion underscored how such incidents have become frighteningly common.

Citing human rights groups, the report revealed abductions and forced marriages of underage Hindu girls, especially in Sindh and Punjab, continue unabated, with Pakistani authorities turning a blind eye.

“These crimes tear families apart and terrorise the community. Meanwhile, the physical heritage of Hindus is crumbling. Decades of neglect and vandalism have left most Hindu temples in terrible condition. A judicial inquiry revealed that out of 365 Hindu temples in Pakistan, only 13 are actively maintained by the government, while an astonishing 287 have been effectively abandoned to decay or illegal occupation. Extremists know they can desecrate or even demolish Hindu shrines with impunity,” the report emphasised.

It further stressed that Sindhi people, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in southeastern Pakistan, endure a “parallel nightmare of oppression”.

“Under the hardline watch of Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, Pakistan’s army chief since late 2022, these trends have only worsened. Munir, a self-professed Islamist, openly subscribes to an extreme ideology that vilifies Hindus and other non-Muslims. His tenure has coincided with a rising tide of hyper-nationalism and intolerance, emboldening extremists and further imperiling minorities,” the report noted.

--IANS

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