ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Kesoo Mal Kheal Das acknowledged on Thursday that religious minorities in the country face administrative and governance issues.

He emphasised that both the state and the government need to be proactive in addressing these challenges.

“Being part of the government does not mean I should ignore the ground realities,” Mr Das said, adding, “The main issue is that we need to focus jointly to resolve these problems.”

He also informed that the law for the establishment of the ‘National Commission for Minority Rights’ has been approved by both houses of parliament and the presidential assent is awaited.

He added that the federal cabinet has also approved the National Strategy for Religious Tolerance, aimed at fostering mutual respect, countering hate speech, and strengthening legal protections for minorities.

He was speaking at the launch of a research study by the Trust for Democratic Education and Accountability (TDEA), titled “Living on the Margins.” The study was conducted under its Inclusivity for Diversity project, funded by the European Union. The three-year initiative began in January 2025.

The research offers a comprehensive analysis of the socio-economic and political realities experienced by religious minorities in Pakistan.

Using a mixed-methods approach, the study was conducted in six districts, including Ghotki, Hyderabad and Tharparkar in Sindh, and Lahore, Rahimyar Khan, and Faisalabad in Punjab.

However, the state minister also added that communal stress and religious tension in the region are primarily due to the attitude of right-wing elements in India.

“As witnessed in the recent crises, Indian media and even ruling party supporters targeted Islam and dragged the religion into border crises. Such behaviour has a negative influence on the people of Pakistan as well,” he said.

TDEA’s Kanwal Mehmood presented the key findings from the research report, highlighting concerns among religious minorities, including barriers to accessing their rights in various areas of life, and recommending reforms.

She noted that the survey revealed that religious minorities in Pakistan fear systemic exclusion and discrimination, as well as constant insecurity, especially following incidents like the attack on the Christian community in Jaranwala, Faisalabad.

She suggested that the way forward should focus on strengthening legal safeguards and their enforcement against religious discrimination, particularly in housing, education, employment and public religious expression.

She added that community-level efforts should promote interfaith harmony, while civil society must be empowered to monitor rights violations and support local human rights defenders.

Sebastien Lorion, Team Leader, Governance and Human Capital at the European Union Mission to Pakistan, reiterated the EU’s support for Pakistan’s social and economic development.

He said that Pakistan is the top beneficiary of the GSP Plus scheme, which includes conditions related to freedom of religion and belief.

He expressed concerns that religious freedom remains a challenge in Pakistan, citing recurring incidents of mob attacks, forced conversions and blasphemy cases.

Dr Muhammad Waseem, Chairperson of TDEA, stated that the state of minority rights in Pakistan requires urgent attention. He pointed out that religious minorities constituted 22 per cent of the population in 1947 but have now been reduced to just 4 per cent.

“Perhaps this is also because a large number of them are not being counted. This has a crushing effect on the country, and they are facing persecution,” Dr Waseem said.

He compared the political nationalism in Pakistan to that in India, noting that, similar to Indian Muslims, non-Muslim Pakistanis feel pressured to prove their loyalty to the nation due to societal conditions.

Ms Anjum Iqbal, Secretary of the Human Rights and Minority Affairs Department, Sindh; Farid Ahmed Tarar, Secretary of the Human Rights and Minority Affairs Department, Punjab; Dr Muhammad Arif Laghari, Director of International Cooperation, Federal Ministry of Human Rights; Umme Laila Azhar, Acting Chairperson, National Commission on the Status of Women; and Manzur Masih, Minority Member of the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) also spoke during plenary and panel discussions.

Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2025