Share:After reporting a steep increase in incidents of forced conversion from 15 in 2020 to over 60 in 2021, minority councilors voiced their concerns regarding the lack of protection extended to religious minorities by the state. The Prohibition of Forced Conversion Act of 2021 was prepared and introduced to the parliament only to have been rejected because ‘it would create further problems for minorities’. These are grave human rights violations—both the forced conversions and underage marriages that follow—which must be dealt with through proper laws that prohibit both. Furthermore, councils should be set up to verify, in instances of religious conversion, whether an individual is acting autonomously or under duress. Pakistan is already a dangerous home for minorities and issues like forced conversions only make it all the more hostile.

Source: The Nation January 10, 2022 14:01 UTC