A report on the plight of religious minority women, launched on Wednesday, called on the government to criminalise forced conversions.
The report underscored that the past year saw little improvement in the rights of religious minorities including women and children, but incidents of religious and gender-based violence was on the rise.
The report highlighted the increasing polarisation and divisiveness faced by minorities, with minority women being particularly vulnerable.
It noted that while there were some positive developments for vulnerable and marginalised groups, these were largely symbolic. Improved legislation had been marred by poor implementation, leading to no significant change on the ground.
“Our research indicates that the severity and frequency of religious discrimination against minority women vary, but they consistently feel excluded from the mainstream due to a lack of prioritization by stakeholders,” the report stated. It criticised the government’s failure to address faith-based crimes, particularly forced religious conversions, and called for urgent legislative action to criminalise such practices.
Participants at the event emphasized the continuous efforts of the CCJP and other civil society organisations (CSOs) to demand the protection and enactment of fundamental rights for all citizens.
They noted some progress, such as the Lahore High Court’s decision to set the legal marriage age at 18 for both males and females. A bill to amend the Christian Marriage Act of 1872, setting the marriage age at 18 for Christians, was also presented in the Senate.
The report made several key recommendations such as legislation and policy implementation. Authorities in all provinces must enact laws ensuring that marriages are contracted with the free and full consent of the intended spouses. Forced marriages should be addressed under section 498-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, which prohibited such practices.
Legal age of marriage
The legal age of marriage should be set at 18 years across Pakistan for both boys and girls, through amendments to the Child Marriage Restraint Act, with relevant departments ensuring its implementation.
It demanded a clear definition of forced faith conversion should be included in the legal framework, with legislation making it a criminal offense. Religious conversions should be verified by the courts, which should be the sole authority to issue legal conversion certificates.
Personal and family laws related to religious minority women must be updated and new protective laws promulgated, with strict assurance of their implementation.
Special measures were also demanded to ensure the representation of religious minority women in parliament and decision-making structures in both the non-profit and public sectors.
The report also praised the establishment of Meesaq centres (minority rights and interfaith harmony units of the Punjab police) as a positive step toward promoting peace and social harmony.
Speakers including Manzoor Masih from Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) and rights activists such as Jia Jaggi emphasised on awareness building for police, post forced conversion rehabilitation. (Dawn)