6 days ago
Pakistan’s Minority Communities Face Violence, Impunity and Weak Protections
A rights activist says religious minorities in Pakistan are not being protected well enough.
He is especially worried about young girls from minority communities.
Some girls have allegedly been taken away, forced to change religion and married.
The activist says officials must carefully check their ages and make sure they are safe.
He also says children cannot simply be treated as adults because someone claims they agreed.
Families affected by attacks on Christians in Jaranwala are still waiting for justice.
He wants the government to punish people who planned or carried out violence.
He also wants laws protecting children and religious freedom to be properly enforced.
Activist Joseph Janssen warned that Pakistan’s religious minorities remain at grave risk from violence and weak accountability.
He cited cases involving minority girls allegedly abducted, forcibly converted and married.
The cases raised concerns about age verification, coercion, documentation and children’s ability to give informed consent.
Janssen urged authorities to enforce child-protection and child-marriage laws and ensure equality before the law.
Christian families affected by the 2023 Jaranwala attacks continue to seek justice, he said.
- Who
- Pakistani religious minorities and activist Joseph Janssen, founder of Voice for Justice.
- What
- A report warned that minorities face violence, impunity and weak enforcement of laws protecting children and religious freedom.
- Where
- Pakistan, including Faisalabad, Chichawatni, Vehari and Jaranwala.
- When
- The assessment was made while marking the International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief, observed annually on August 22. The cited cases include incidents in January, April and June 12, 2026.
- Why
- Janssen called for stronger safeguards, accountability for religiously motivated violence, and effective enforcement of child-protection, child-marriage and religious-freedom laws.
Key facts
- Activist
- Joseph Janssen, founder of the Netherlands-based Voice for Justice
- International observance
- The International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief is observed on August 22.
- Cases cited
- Janssen cited cases involving 13-year-old Amber Nadeem, 14-year-old Sataish Mariam and 12-year-old Mariam Asif.
- Allegations
- The girls were allegedly abducted, forcibly converted and subsequently married.
- Jaranwala attacks
- The August 16, 2023 attacks damaged 26 churches and more than 80 homes, according to the report.
- Requested action
- Janssen urged federal and provincial authorities to strengthen safeguards, enforce relevant laws and hold perpetrators accountable.
Quotes
Joseph Janssen
Pakistani exiled minority-rights activist and founder of Voice for Justice
“broader concerns about the protection of minority children and the effectiveness of investigations and judicial processes in cases involving alleged abduction, conversion and marriage”
thehansindia.com
“translate constitutional guarantees of equality and freedom of religion into effective protection for citizens and accountability for human-rights violations”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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