2 Human Rights Violations in Pakistan June 2021.Cdr
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Minority Atrocities In Pakistan June 2021 www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Introduction Minorities Abuse In Pakistan Religious extremists and Pakistan government continue to inflict atrocities on minority communities in Pakistan. The condition of minorities has only deteriorated over the years. Religious intolerance has been institutionalized. The atrocities inflicted upon them by religious fanatics as well as the government defy all boundaries of a civilized society. In an act of religious hatred, a mob of Muslim extremists vandalized and burned down the church in Korangi, Karachi on April 03. Taking advantage of the blasphemy laws to settle personal scores, two Christian’s nurses working at Civil Hospital in Faisalabad were falsely accused of committing blasphemy. They both were accused by a Muslim co-worker of desecrating wall hangings that contained Quranic verses. One of them was in danger of being killed by a hospital employee and was injured. Another blot on Pakistan’s society is the forceful conversion. The extremists are not sparing even the mentally ill persons. A mentally ill Christian man was forcefully converted to Islam by members of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The 40 year old victim had supposedly wandered into a TLP sit-in protest on April 14 in Gujjar Khan, Punjab. While among the protestors, he was forced to publicly recite the Kalima and was “converted to Islam”. A community in Pakistan that has always faced discrimination in the Shia community. A report published in the online magazine ‘The Diplomat’ underlined that Shia Muslims in Pakistan today face a double threat, represented by extremists and the government that overlooks the genocide, displacement and enforced disappearances they are subjected to. The report pointed out that Shias were facing persecution and discrimination today in Pakistan. It also quoted civil activists saying that the Shia community had realized that these institutions, both governmental and civil society organizations, are different or unable to address their plight. The report added that that as for the Shias, negative perceptions make them a target not only for extremists, but for the security forces as well indicating that the number of forcibly disappeared Shias had increased during the last three years, reaching hundreds at the present time. According to one estimate, more than 700 people are still missing. However, Pakistan ignores the humanitarian calls for an end to enforced disappearances of Shia Muslims. A development that calls for attention is the sabotage of human rights commission by Pakistan. National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), an independent rights watchdog has been inactive since 2019. A top court in Pakistan called on the ruling party PTI to revitalize the organization amid accusations that the government is deliberately stalling its functioning. Activities and former NCHR works have accused Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government of delaying the appointment of leadership roles in the commission in order to avoid facing accountability for human rights violations- especially those committed at the hands of the country’s military. After finding several faults with the government’s previous advertisements for leadership roles in the commission, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 29 directed the federal government to issue an advertisement for a new Chairman and NCHR members. In a view of the above, it is evident that Pakistan not only disrespects the rights of the minority communities but also intends to muzzle the voice of those who raise voice for them, in this case NCHR. For transparent and fair reporting of human rights abuse cases, it is imperative that human rights organizations work unhindered and without any intimidation. In an act of religious hatred, a mob of Muslim extremists vandalized and burned down the www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 church in Korangi, Karachi on April 03. Taking advantage of the blasphemy laws to settle personal scores, two Christian's nurses working at Civil Hospital in Faisalabad were falsely accused of committing blasphemy. They both were accused by a Muslim co-worker of desecrating wall hangings that contained Quranic verses. One of them was in danger of being killed by a hospital employee and was injured. Another blot on Pakistan's society is the forceful conversion. The extremists are not sparing even the mentally ill persons. A mentally ill Christian man was forcefully converted to Islam by members of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). The 40 year old victim had supposedly wandered into a TLP sit-in protest on April 14 in Gujjar Khan, Punjab. While among the protestors, he was forced to publicly recite the Kalima and was “converted to Islam”. A community in Pakistan that has always faced discrimination in the Shia community. A report published in the online magazine 'The Diplomat' underlined that Shia Muslims in Pakistan today face a double threat, represented by extremists and the government that overlooks the genocide, displacement and enforced disappearances they are subjected to. The report pointed out that Shias were facing persecution and discrimination today in Pakistan. It also quoted civil activists saying that the Shia community had realized that these institutions, both governmental and civil society organizations, are different or unable to address their plight. The report added that that as for the Shias, negative perceptions make them a target not only for extremists, but for the security forces as well indicating that the number of forcibly disappeared Shias had increased during the last three years, reaching hundreds at the present time. According to one estimate, more than 700 people are still missing. However, Pakistan ignores the humanitarian calls for an end to enforced disappearances of Shia Muslims. A development that calls for attention is the sabotage of human rights commission by Pakistan. National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), an independent rights watchdog has been inactive since 2019. A top court in Pakistan called on the ruling party PTI to revitalize the organization amid accusations that the government is deliberately stalling its functioning. Activities and former NCHR works have accused Prime Minister Imran Khan's government of delaying the appointment of leadership roles in the commission in order to avoid facing accountability for human rights violations- especially those committed at the hands of the country's military. After finding several faults with the government's previous advertisements for leadership roles in the commission, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on March 29 directed the federal government to issue an advertisement for a new Chairman and NCHR members. In a view of the above, it is evident that Pakistan not only disrespects the rights of the minority communities but also intends to muzzle the voice of those who raise voice for them, in this case NCHR. For transparent and fair reporting of human rights abuse cases, it is imperative that human rights organizations work unhindered and without any intimidation. www.ghrd.org Index S.No. Topics 1. Christian Community In Pakistan 2. Hindu Minorities 3. Muslims & Other Minorities 4. Miscellaneous Incidents Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Attacks On Christian Community In Pakistan www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Christian Church Desecrated And Burned Down By Muslim Extremists On April 3rd, Mob of Muslim extremists vandalized & burned down the church in Korangi, Karachi. www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Christian Girl Abduction Muskan Babar Masih, 19, kidnapped and raped by four Muslim henchmen in Mariam Colony, Sialkot, Pakistan. For three days she was tortured and raped by these Muslims. www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Two Christian Nurses in Pakistan Falsely Accused of Blasphemy by Muslim Coworker On April 9, Mariyum Lal and Newsh Arooj, two Christian nurses working at Civil Hospital in Faisalabad, were falsely accused of committing blasphemy. One of them, Mariam Lal, was in danger of being killed by a hospital employee, & was injured. They both were accused by a Muslim coworker of desecrating wall hangings that contained Quranic verses. [https://www.persecution.org/2021/04/09/two-christian-nurses-pakistan-falsely-accused-blasphemy-muslim-coworker/] www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Pakistani Christian Accused Of Blasphemy Tortured Into False Confession A Christian accused of blasphemy in Pakistan was tortured into making a false confession while spending more than two months in police custody. On February 13, Haroon Ayub Masih and Salamat Mansha Masih, two Christians, were studying the Bible in Model Town Park, located in Lahore. While studying, the two Christians met Haroon Ahmad, a Muslim, and several of Ahmad's friends [https://www.persecution.org/2021/04/30/pakistani-christian-accused-blasphemy-tortured-false-confession/] www.ghrd.org Minority Atrocities In Pakistan www.ghrd.org June 2021 Islamist Party Forcefully Converts Mentally Ill Man In Pakistan A mentally ill Christian man was forcefully converted to Islam by members of the Tehreek-e- Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), an Islamic extremist party in Pakistan. The man's family now fears they will be the targets of extremist violence if they do not convert to Islam. Adnan Bashir, age 40, reportedly wandered into a TLP sit-in