Hindus in Pakistan: a Survey of Human Rights

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Khyber Gilgit-Baltistan Pakhtunkhwa Gilgit-Baltistan and PoK are occupied territories

Federally Pakistan ccupied administrated Kashmir PoK Hindus in Islamabad tribal areas Line of Control (LoC)

Pakistan Punjab A survey of Human Balochistan Rights, 2020 Sindh Islamic Republic of Pakistan Area: 796,095 sq km Population: 233,500,636 (July, 2020 estimate). Demographic information is based on the Central Pashtu (Pashto) Ethnic Groups Sindhi 8% Balochi Intelligence Agency World Factbook (Central 12% Saraiki 3% Intelligence Agency, 2020) (a Punjabi Urdu Hindko 2% Punjabi variant) (oﬃcial) Brahui 1% 48% 10% 8% Location: Southern Asia, bordering the Arabian Sea, bordering India on the east, Iran to the south-west, Afghanistan to the north- west, and China in the north.

Religions

English (oﬃcial, lingua franca of Pakistani elite and most government ministries), Burushaski, and Other 8% Islam (oﬃcial) 96.4% Languages of Pakistan Pushtun (Pathan) Saraiki Baloch 15.4% 8.4% 3.6% Sunni Punjabi Sindhi Muhajirs Other 85-90% 44.7% 14.1% 7.6% 6.3%

Shia 10-15%

Other (includes Christian and Hindu) 3.6% 1 (2010 estimate)

1 There are no clear statistics on the Hindu groups, but estimates put them anywhere between 1.6% to 5.5% according to Hindu community groups. October 2020

Human rights and religious freedom conditions continued to deteriorate at cross-border attacks in the Indian Union an unprecedented rate in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan during 2019 - Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistani sponsored terrorist groups, 2020. Pakistan’s widespread violation of human rights and its tolerance of including the February 2019 attack by human rights violations by non-state actors demonstrate a blatant disregard Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Pulwama for its obligations under international human rights norms. that killed over 40 Indian security personnel (McDermott, 2019). As a result, Pakistan remained on the U.S. State Department’s list of Countries of Particular Concern under the International Religious Freedom Subsequent to the Pulwama attack, Pakistan attempted to protect JeM Act of 1998, for its “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious violations of leader, Maulana Azhar, from censure religious freedom” against its religious minorities including Hindus, Sikhs, at the United Nations and carried out Christians, Ahmadiyya Muslims, and Shia Muslims (U.S. Department of an international propaganda campaign State, 2018; Pompeo, 2019). on Kashmir. Government officials, such as Prime Minister Imran Khan, further exacerbated tensions with India by The blasphemy laws, restrictions on the of intolerance at the hands of non-state unilaterally threatening nuclear war after Ahmadiyya Muslim faith, and forced actors with complicit or implicit support India fully and democratically integrated conversions of Hindu and Christian girls of government officials. Jammu and Kashmir into the Indian particularly plagued religious minorities. Union through the abrogation of Article In order to escape these rampant According to Human Rights Watch’s 2019 370 of the Constitution (ANI, 2019). religious freedom violations, Hindus, Country Report on Pakistan, an estimated Sikhs, Christians, and Ahmaddiya Finally, the Pakistani military and 1,000 Christian and Hindu women are Muslims have increasingly fled the government’s suppression of the civil abducted and forcibly converted to country in the last several years. The and human rights of ethnic minorities Islam every year, and the government annual influx of religious refugees continued unabated. does little to stop such incidents (Human from Pakistan, along with those from Rights Watch, 2019). Often, after being Afghanistan and Bangladesh, into India abducted, these girls are forcibly married led to the passage of India’s Citizenship to unknown men, raped, sold off, or Amendment Act in 2019 to provide History/ forced into prostitution. them with fast track citizenship. Background Moreover, the constitutional Large-scale sectarian violence also preference for Islam and religious The modern Pakistani state was created continued as militant groups operated identification laws institutionalized by partitioning India in 1947, after the freely and targeted minorities, as well as the discrimination and second-class British granted independence from minority Muslims sects with impunity. status of minorities. Legislation colonial rule. The mass violence caused In September 2020, Sunni Islamists requiring Compulsory courses on by the Muslim League’s demands for and militant groups with links to the the Quran at all public universities in a separate homeland for South Asian government and military led mass anti- Punjab province was passed in 2020 Muslims forced millions of Hindus Shia Muslim demonstrations of up to and secondary school textbooks and Sikhs to flee the West and East 30,000 people, accusing Shias of being continued to include inflammatory Pakistan (present day Bangladesh) for heretics (Shahid, 2020). content on religious minorities. the safety of India. Consequently, the The Pakistani military establishment number of Hindus declined from 15% in Hindus and other minorities remain has long utilized many terrorist/militant West Pakistan at the time of Partition to enslaved by the bonded labor groups and Islamists to both pursue approximately 2% in 1951. The last time system, and are subjected to attacks its domestic political priorities as Pakistan conducted a Census, in 1998, on religious sites and the illegal well as foment violence in India and Hindus made up 1.6% of the population occupation of temples, and other acts Afghanistan. This led to a number of (Pakistan Bureau of Statistics). The

2 | Hindus in Pakistan: A survey of Human Rights, 2020 province of Sindh has the highest anti-Ahmadiyya riots occurred from the maintain and manage its religious percentage of Hindus, 6.51% of the 1950s until the 1970s, and an anti- institutions,” has proven meaningless total population (Pakistan Bureau of Hindu riot in 1964 led to the migration of (National Assembly of Pakistan, 2012). Statistics). However, according to data thousands of Hindus to India, Pakistan’s Furthermore, many of the rights from the 2017 Census that was made turn toward Islamization hardened theoretically provided for in the unofficially available to a lawmaker, the during the military dictatorship of Constitution are subordinated Hindu population may have decreased Mohammad Ziaul Haq in the 1980s to government regulations and by 0.19% from 1998 (Goyal, 2020). (Baabar & Mir, 2006). constitutional injunctions shaped by There has been an even greater decline Despite rampant human rights violations Islamic law first introduced in 1977, in major cities with historically large and war crimes (during Bangladesh’s thereby denying equal protection and Hindu populations. In Lahore, for 1971 War of Independence) committed religious freedom to non-Muslims. instance, the Hindu/Sikh community by numerous Pakistani regimes, Specific laws protecting the equal rights comprised approximately 40% in historically, Pakistan’s actions of Pakistani citizens are similarly absent 1941 and today, makes up less than have largely been tolerated by the from the legal system, including laws 1%, with only two functioning Hindu international community due to the protecting underage minority girls from temples remaining (Ahmad et al., 2020). country’s strategic location and forced conversions and marriages. Similarly, in the city of Karachi, the perceived importance in the region. Hindu population decreased from 51% And although a law officially recognizing in 1947 to only 2% in 1951, while the Hindu marriages, the Hindu Marriage Muslim population in the city went from Act, was finally passed in 2017, (PTI, 42% to 96% during that same period Status of 2017) it has yet to be implemented. (Hasan et al., 1999). Notwithstanding Human Rights its recent decline, Hindu civilization Discriminatory Provisions in the and culture flourished in Pakistan for 2019-2020 Legal System thousands of years. Islam has been institutionalized in the In contrast, although many Muslims Constitution and pervades all aspects left India for Pakistan at the time of Religious Freedom of the legal system. Article 2 of the partition, the percentage of Muslims Discriminatory laws and constitutional Constitution proclaims that Islam is continued to increase in independent injunctions in Pakistan have reduced “the State religion of Pakistan” and India. According to India’s 1951 census, religious minorities to second-class recognizes the Koran and Sunnah as Muslims accounted for 9.8% of the citizens, leading to gross human rights the highest sources of law, not to be population. According to the 2011 violations by both the state and non- contradicted by secular laws, while Census, Muslims constituted 14.23% state actors. Article 31 protects and promotes the of the population, and are projected Islamic way of life and moral standards, to increase their share of the total Although the Constitution purportedly among many other provisions (National population to 18% by 2050 guarantees religious freedom to its Assembly of Pakistan, 2012). In July (Indian Census, 2011; Majumdar, 2018). citizens under Articles 20-22, (National 2020, the Punjab Provincial Assembly Assembly of Pakistan, 2012) minorities Pakistan’s path to becoming an Islamic went even further by passing the have been unable to freely practice Republic began before the promulgation Protection of Islam Foundation Bill, their faith without fear of attacks or of its post-independence constitution, which made Sunni Islam as the only persecution. For example, Article with the Objectives Resolution in 1949, viable form of Islam for Pakistanis 20 which states, “Every citizen shall under the influence of unelected Islamic (Shahid, 2020). have the right to profess, practice extremists (Younus, 2014). The Pakistani and propagate his religion; and every Additionally, Article 203A - J establishes constitution adopted in 1956 declared religious denomination and every sect the power and jurisdiction of the Pakistan an Islamic Republic. Although thereof shall have the right to establish, Federal Shariat Courts, while Articles

A Publication of Hindu American FOundation | 3 October 2020

227 - 231 provide that all laws must be or the integrity, security or defense decision overturning the conviction of in conformity with Islamic injunctions of Pakistan” (National Assembly of Asia Bibi, a Christian woman who was and create an Islamic Council to advise Pakistan, 2012). This constitutional on death row for alleged blasphemy. Parliament and Provincial Assemblies clause provides in part the justification Bibi, however, was forced to leave on whether laws contradict Islamic for criminalizing blasphemy under the Pakistan on May 7, 2019, after death injunctions (National Assembly of penal code. threats made it unsafe for her to remain Pakistan, 2012). The Islamicization of (Sherwood, 2019). laws has also affected women’s rights in The Blasphemy Laws Pakistan’s blasphemy laws have Pakistan across religions by increasing emboldened Muslim extremists and the the bar against rape, punishments The blasphemy laws codified by mere allegation of blasphemy is used for adultery, and reducing the relative Pakistan's Penal Code (Sections 295B as a pretext to attack and kill minorities weight of women as witnesses (Human and C, and 298A-C), impose severe (Ahmad, 2014). On September 16, 2019, Rights Watch, 1999). punishments for perceived insults to the Prophet Mohammed or desecration for instance, a mob in the town of Ghotki, The Pakistani Constitution lays out of the Koran, and prohibit Ahmadiyyas in the province of Sindh, attacked three explicit restrictions on non-Muslims, from using Islamic terminology and Hindu temples, shops, and a school such as Article 41(2), which provides symbols and from “preaching their after a Muslim pupil accused the Hindu that an individual must be Muslim in faith or pos[ing] as Muslims” (Pakistan principal of making blasphemous order to hold the office of President Penal Code). Punishments range from comments about Prophet Mohammad. of Pakistan (National Assembly of imprisonment for three years and a The Principal was taken into protective Pakistan, 2012). Similarly, it requires fine to life imprisonment and the death custody by the local police (BBC, that high office holders must take the penalty (Pakistan Penal Code). September 18, 2019; Shahid, 2019). oath of office by invoking an Islamic On May 30, 2019, a Hindu veterinarian prayer, regardless of whether they are The blasphemy laws, which enjoy was accused of blasphemy against Muslim. The oath starts with, “In the widespread support in Pakistan, have Islam after a cleric accused him of name of Allah, the most Beneficent, had a disproportionate impact on delivering medicine wrapped in verses the most Merciful,” and ends with religious minorities (BBC, May 8, 2019). of Quran. Riots broke out in the “May Allah Almighty help and guide Over 1,500 people have been charged veterinarian’s neighborhood, shops me, (A’meen)” (National Assembly of and imprisoned under the blasphemy owned by Hindus were burnt by the Pakistan, 2012). laws since 1987 (BBC, May 8, 2019). In August 2020, there were a string of protestors, and the accused was taken Furthermore, freedom of religion is 42 blasphemy cases targeting the Shia into judicial custody (Masood, 2019). severely limited and “subject to law, Muslim community, including a three public order and morality” (National year old child (Shahid, 2020). Kidnapping and Forced Assembly of Pakistan, 2012). Conversions Consequently, actions or speech According to the U.S. Department of deemed derogatory to Islam or the State, in 2019 “at least 84 individuals Abductions and forced conversions Prophet Mohammed are not protected. were imprisoned on blasphemy continue to haunt minority communities Moreover, the Constitution requires charges, at least 29 of whom had in Pakistan, and have particularly that laws be consistent with Islam and received death sentences...” (U.S. targeted young Hindu and Christian imposes elements of Koranic law on Department of State, 2019). For girls. Often, after being abducted, these both Muslims and non-Muslims alike instance, Shagufta Kausar, a Christian girls are forcibly married to random (National Assembly of Pakistan, 2012). woman is on death row for allegedly men, raped, sold into human trafficking sending out so-called blasphemous rings, or forced into prostitution. Several And freedom of speech under Article text messages (Aqeel, 2019). On a Islamic seminaries in Sindh incite their 19 of the Constitution is “subject to rare positive note, in response to Muslim students to convert Hindu girls, any reasonable restrictions imposed by international pressure, on January 29, telling them that it is the equivalent of law in the interest of the glory of Islam 2019, the Supreme Court upheld its Haj-e-Akbari, or the greatest religious

4 | Hindus in Pakistan: A survey of Human Rights, 2020 duty for Muslims. These seminaries the police, and the judiciary have often presented at a court, and Mehak Kumari hold the kidnapped Hindu girls against perpetuated the problem. The following was sent to a women’s police protection their will, convert them to Islam, and are just a few high profile examples center, while the court directed a local subsequently force them to marry that are intended to demonstrate the medical college to ascertain the victim’s Muslim men, often twice their age. extent of the problem and the role of age (PTI, 2020). The court later nullified Threatened into silence and fearful Islamic extremists. the marriage on grounds of Mehak for the safety of their families, the Kumari being underage, and thus unfit On January 27, 2020, a 24 year girls are then taken to a local court by for marriage under Sections 3 and 4 of old Hindu woman, Bharti Bai, their abductors, where a judge usually the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act was kidnapped from her wedding sanctions the legality of the marriage (Press Trust of India, 2020). ceremony—at Hala town in Matiari and conversion (The Express Tribune, district in Sindh—by unknown It is important to note, however, that 2012) (Rodriguez, 2012). assailants with the involvement of local although the court nullified the marriage, it did so on technical grounds that ignored the religious aspects of the These seminaries hold the kidnapped Hindu girls kidnapping and forcible conversion. And against their will, convert them to Islam, and despite the decision, Mehak was sent to subsequently force them to marry Muslim men, a shelter home, rather than back to her often twice their age. Threatened into silence and parents. She also received death threats from some religious clerics after she fearful for the safety of their families, the girls rescinded her prior statement saying she are then taken to a local court by their abductors, willingly accepted Islam (Tandon, 2020). where a judge usually sanctions the legality of the And in March 2019, two sisters marriage and conversion. Reena and Raveena, ages 13 and 15 respectively, were kidnapped from their home in Ghotki, Sindh, converted to Human rights groups such as the Human police (The Week, 2020). According to Islam, and married to two Muslim men. Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) reports, Bharti Bai was then forcefully The girls were then taken to Punjab have estimated that more than 1,000 converted to Islam and married to a province, where they were married to Hindu and Christian young girls across Muslim man named Shah Rukh Gul, two Muslim men at the headquarters the country are stolen from their families who had led the kidnapping. The of a religious political party, Sunni and forced to convert to Islam annually certificate of conversion produced by Tehreek. After initially disregarding the (Inayat, 2019). And between January the Jamiat-ul-Uloom (Islamic seminary), girls’ family’s complaints, the police 2004 and May 2018, there were 7,430 which was circulated widely over the registered a formal case and arrested reported cases of abductions of Hindu internet, however, dates the conversion twelve people. The Islamabad High girls in Sindh province, while the actual to December 1, 2019. This enabled Court, however, eventually ruled against number of cases are estimated to be Shah Rukh Gul to claim that Bharti Bai the family and found that the girls were much higher (Sindhi Foundation, 2020). was already his wife, and it was her above the legal mariagable age of 16 parents who were forcibly marrying In July 2019, several hundred and that the girls converted to Islam out her to a Hindu man (Ameer, 2020). The Hindus from Kohistan, Sindh, held of their own free will (U.S. Department outcome of the case was unclear at the a demonstration against the surge of State, 2019). time of the writing of this report. in kidnappings and conversions, There were also several incidents alleging that 50 non-Muslim girls had On January 15, 2020, a 15-year-old involving other non-Muslim girls during been kidnapped in the previous four student, Mehak Kumari, was kidnapped the reporting period. On August 2019, a months (Dawn, 2019). These and and married to a Muslim man, Ali Raza Sikh girl, Jagjit Kaur, was abducted by a other protests, however, have fallen Solangi, in Jacobabad district, Sindh. Muslim man, Mohammad Hassan, who on deaf ears, as government officials, The victim and her abductor were

A Publication of Hindu American FOundation | 5 October 2020 was a member of the fundamentalist ❱ Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) – Sunni do not ascribe to their extremist views. Jamaat-ud-Dawa organization sectarian group that frequently In 2019, the Islamic State claimed (Chaudhury, 2019). After the victim’s attacks Shias; responsibility for a bomb attack in an brother lodged a complaint with the open air market targeting Shia Muslims ❱ Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) – State police, an Islamic mob attacked and from the Hazara community in Quetta, Department designated FTO vandalized the local Sikh holy site, killing 24 innocent people and injuring and anti-India group operating in the Gurdwara Nankana Sahib, in dozens, as well as for an attack on a Kashmir; January 2020 (Rana, 2020; Times of major Sufi shrine in Lahore, killing at India, 2020). There have also been a ❱ Lashkar-e-Omar – a loose coalition least ten people (BBC, September 18, number of Christian girls abducted and of several militant groups; 2019; Bukhari, 2019). forcibly converted to Islam, including ❱ Tehreek-e-Nafaz-e-Shariat-e- Islamists have also increasingly created Myra Shehbaz in April 2020 and Huma Mohammadi – militant group an intolerant and repressive atmosphere, Younus in October 2019(Ochab, seeking to enforce sharia law; and exerted extensive influence over 2020). Other cases include that of four government officials and policies. Christian girls, between 13 and 16 years ❱ Muslim United Army – an umbrella Furthermore, Islamist groups have of age, who were kidnapped together organization consisting of several imposed Islamic law in areas under and gangraped by Muslim men, and extremist groups; their control, particularly in Khyber an 11-year-old Christian girl who was ❱ Hizb-ul-Mujahideen – State Pakhtunkhwa and the tribal areas. kidnapped and gangraped for three Department designated FTO Militants in the tribal areas, including days (Ochab, 2020). and anti-India group operating in Khyber Agency, have forced Hindus Kashmir; and Sikhs to pay a punitive tax known as jizya (a tax historically imposed on ❱ Jaish-e-Mohammed – State Islamic Extremism and non-Muslims living under Islamic rule) in Department designated FTO return for their protection. Sectarian Violence and anti-India group operating in The Pakistani military establishment Kashmir; has long utilized terrorist/militant ❱ Afghan Taliban groups (ex: Quetta groups to pursue its foreign policy Social, Educational, Shura and the Haqqani Network); interests in India and Afghanistan, and Institutional as well as in support of its domestic ❱ Tehreek-e-Taliban (Pakistani Discrimination priorities. Pakistan’s military-intelligence Taliban) – launched attacks on the establishment has engaged in a Pakistani state; Hindus, along with other religious proxy war in India’s state of Jammu and ethnic minorities, face systemic ❱ Al Qaeda – maintains several bases and Kashmir since the late 1980s by economic, political, and educational in Pakistan and functions with the supporting terrorist groups there. In discrimination in Pakistan. Even in the tacit support and assistance of the addition, it has supported Khalistan midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistani military establishment; militants seeking to create an Hindu and Christian laborers in the independent Sikh nation in the Indian ❱ ISIS – significantly expanding in Lyari area of Karachi were denied state of Punjab. Moreover, there are Pakistan and recruiting Pakistani emergency food aid by the Saylani a number of groups operating freely Taliban members; Trust Fund, a local charity coordinating throughout the country, who promote its activities with the Sindh provincial ❱ Jundallah and Tehreek-e-Khilafat Islamic rule, violent jihad (holy war), and government. According to several – militant groups allied to ISIS/ hatred towards non-Muslims. Hindu laborers, Saylani Trust workers Islamic State. outrightly denied the distribution of The following are a few of the extremist Many of these groups have launched rations to Hindus, as they claimed that groups based in or with a large large-scale terror attacks in Pakistan on rations were specifically for Muslims presence in Pakistan (Zavadski, 2014; religious minorities and Muslims who (ANI, 2020,). Though they eventually SATP, 2017) 2 :

2 A full list can be found at South Asia Terrorism Portal: 6 | Hindus in Pakistan: A survey of Human Rights, 2020 https://satp.org/terrorist-groups/pakistan. received some rations, the assistance It was passed by the Senate and was not nearly enough. made into law on August 31, 2017. On Suppression of Ethnic June 15, 2020, compulsory courses The Human Rights Commission of in the Quran were also introduced Minority Rights Pakistan estimates that there are at the university-level in the Punjab, between three and eight million bonded In addition to religious freedom making it a prerequisite for graduation. laborers who have been enslaved by violations, the government’s The provincial government took this the debt-bondage system in Pakistan suppression of the civil and human measure allegedly under pressure (The Express Tribune, 2012). The rights of ethnic minorities continues from an Islamic student organization, system is characterized by patterns of unabated. Human rights activists and Islami-Jamiat Talaba, affiliated to the abuse, detention, and exploitation, and organizations have long reported on fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami party enslaves mostly poor Hindus in Sindh the forced disappearances, extra- (Ahmed, 2020). and Christians in Punjab. Federal laws judicial killings, arbitrary detentions, and provincial legislation have been Beyond the public school system, and torture of political and ethnic ineffective in addressing the issue, while there has been a proliferation of rights activists across Pakistan. local police and government authorities Islamic schools, Madrasas, that According to Pakistan’s own state run have perpetuated the problem by further perpetuate hatred towards agency, the Commission of Inquiry on refusing to register complaints against minorities. Although exact figures are Enforced Disappearances, there are abusive landowners (Kalra, 2013, 5-6). unavailable, there are between 13,000 2,178 unresolved cases of enforced to 20,000 madrasas—most teaching disappearances(Amnesty International, Furthermore, the education system the fundamentalist Deobandi approach 2019), though estimates from rights continues to teach hatred towards to Islam—that provide basic schooling, groups are much higher. religious minorities and promote violent religious education, as well as boarding jihad. A 2016 study conducted by Moreover, a recent report from the and lodging to approximately 1 million the Pakistan-based NGO Peace and Federal Human Rights Ministry found boys from lower income families Education Foundation (PEF), “Teaching that close to 1,000 dead bodies of (Reuters, 2007). Intolerance in Pakistan: Religious Bias Baloch activists and separatists have in Public School Textbooks”, notes that Finally, remedial measures to been recovered in Balochistan province religious minorities are consistently purportedly increase the political between 2010 and 2016, pointing to described as “untrustworthy, religiously representation of religious minorities— a pattern of extrajudicial killings and inferior, and ideologically scheming” through reserving 10 seats in the abuses by security forces (BBC, 2016). across textbooks. A seventh grade national parliament—have been And Baloch rights’ groups allege that textbook in Sindh province, for ineffective. This is due in part to the in the first six months of 2019 alone instance, claims that Hindus planned President’s ability to disband the there were an estimated 371 enforced to “enslave Muslims,” while an eighth legislature at his discretion, which may disappearances and at least 158 grade textbook in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa preemptively curtail demands for major extra-judicial killings of activists in encourages students to “financially constitutional changes (The Institute Balochistan by Pakistani security forces help in preparation of Jihad” if they on Religion & Public Policy, 2013). (Baloch Human Rights Organization, cannot participate in Jihad themselves Moreover, political parties, including 2019). Similarly, in Sindh province, (Andrei, 2016). Islamic fundamentalist ones, select there have been a reported 1,200 minority candidates for reserved seats cases of enforced disappearances of Recently, the National Assembly of rather than the minority communities human rights defenders, activists, and Pakistan approved the Compulsory themselves that the candidates journalists since 2010 (International Teaching of the Holy Quran Bill on represent (Shakir, 2016). Human Rights Council, 2018). April 19, 2017. The bill made Quranic education compulsory from Grade 1 In Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, the through 12 in all federal educational interim constitution places legal institutions in Pakistan (Bilal, 2017). restrictions on political rights and freedom of expression by banning

A Publication of Hindu American FOundation | 7 October 2020 parties that do not explicitly endorse back to Pakistan (Outlook India, 2018). Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan. Finally, conditions in India where most For the United States: Similarly, government employees are Pakistani Hindus flee as refugees required to express their support for The United States should impose were no better. Some have settled accession. At least 100 Kashmiri civil targeted sanctions on Pakistan in overcrowded makeshift camps rights activists have been killed in and Pakistani officials under the that lack potable water and formal Pakistan Occupied Kashmir in the last International Religious Freedom Act as electric connections (Habib, 2019; two years, a region ranked by Freedom a Country of Particular Concern for its Raj, 2019). Until the 2019 passing House as “Not Free” in their 2020 “systematic, ongoing, [and] egregious of India’s Citizenship Amendment Freedom in the World Report (Freedom violations of religious freedom” Act, which expedites the path to House, 2020). (Pompeo, 2019) against religious citizenship for persecuted non-Muslim minorities, which include systematic Pakistan’s military-intelligence aparatus religious minorities from Afghanistan, persecution, as well as physical and has further settled large numbers of Bangladesh, and Pakistan, they lacked sexual violence. Sunni Muslims in Gilgit-Baltistan, a the requisite legal status to apply for predominantly Shia Muslim area, to jobs, acquire bank loans, and buy Current USAID teacher training irreversibly change the demographics, property (Johari & Lalwani, 2019). programs should require revamping the leading to sectarian clashes and The law only provides relief to those textbook curriculum and incorporate massacres of Shias (Chaudhuri, 2012; refugees that were already settled in sensitivity training to address Rubin, 2020). According to Shia Rights India before 2015. discriminatory attitudes towards Watch, there have been at least 23 religious minorities and support targeted attacks on Shias in Gilgit- for violent extremism among many Baltistan between 2012 and 2016 (Shia teachers. Rights Watch, 2017). Conclusions and Civilian assistance should be focused Recommendations on meaningful constitutional and legal reform to provide equality and religious Refugees Religious minorities continued to suffer freedom for minorities. And a portion of According to Hindu community at an alarming rate in 2019-2020, with humanitarian and economic assistance leaders in Pakistan and NGOs in India, several high-profile attacks on religious should be earmarked for the benefit of approximately 5,000 Hindus take communities. Women of minority faiths, the country’s marginalized minorities. refuge in India annually. Similarly, nearly particularly Hindus, endured rape and 12,000 Pakistanis (mainly Christians) forced conversions, before forced filed asylum claims in Thailand, many of marriages to Muslim men. Draconian For Pakistan: blasphemy and apostasy laws are used whom are threatened with deportation, The number of reserved seats for to harass Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians. and an estimated 10,000 Ahmadiyyas religious minorities in both federal Such harassment, including long have sought asylum in Germany, UK, and provincial legislatures should be periods of pre-trial imprisonment, is and the US (Rabwah Times, 2016; increased and directly elected from done in collaboration with local judicial SATP, 2017) . minority communities. and law enforcement authorities. These Pakistani Christian refugees in Thailand and other discriminatory laws have Train local law enforcement to better faced legal limbo in terms of their left minorities as second class citizens deal with vigilante justice and mob residency status and were placed and vulnerable to attacks by non-state attacks on individuals accused of in overcrowded camps (Bandow, actors. The Hindu American Foundation committing blasphemy. 2018). The Thai government has even recommends the following policies: convicted Pakistani asylum seekers for Train local law enforcement on how overstaying their visas and sent them to deal with kidnappings, forced conversions, and involuntary marriages

8 | Hindus in Pakistan: A survey of Human Rights, 2020 of Hindu and Christian girls. Police must also crackdown on mosques that promote such activities.

Pass the Sindh Criminal Law (Protection of Minorities) Bill to criminalize forced conversions and protect the rights of Hindu (and other non-Muslim) girls, without making amendments and watering down provisions.

Enhance the protection of Hindu and Sikh religious sites and prevent non- state actors from vandalizing, attacking, illegally occupying, or destroying them

Inflammatory anti-minority content must be removed from public school textbooks and exemptions from Quranic courses at public schools and universities should be allowed for religious minorities.

A Publication of Hindu American FOundation | 9 October 2020

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https://www.state.gov/wp-content/ uploads/2020/05/PAKISTAN-2019- INTERNATIONAL-RELIGIOUS-FREEDOM- REPORT.pdf

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❙ Zavadski, K. (2014, November 23). ISIS now has Military Allies in 11 Countries Around the World. New York Intelligencer. http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/11/ isis-now-has-military-allies-in-11-countries.html

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