A UK parliamentary group has said it will raise concerns about the persecution of Hindus in Pakistan with both the British government and Parliament following the presentation of a new report detailing the challenges faced by the country's Hindu minority.

The report, titled Religious Persecution of Hindus in Pakistan, was presented by British Hindu advocacy organisation INSIGHT UK to the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for British Hindus. It documents a wide range of alleged violations of religious freedom and highlights continuing threats to the safety and rights of Hindu communities across Pakistan.

Following discussions around the report, the APPG indicated that one possible course of action would be to write to the Foreign Office seeking a meeting to discuss the treatment of religious minorities in Pakistan and urging the department to raise these concerns directly with the Pakistani authorities.

“One suggestion was a letter to the foreign office requesting a meeting highlighting the atrocities against minorities so that the department can raise the concerns with the current establishment in Pakistan. There was also a discussion on requesting to curtail aid to Pakistan,” an APPG secretariat spokesperson said.

The recommendations come against the backdrop of the UK's significant development assistance to Pakistan. The report argues that British aid should be made conditional on measurable improvements in the treatment of religious minorities. It further recommends that a portion of UK funding be specifically allocated to organisations within Pakistan that work to protect minority rights and freedoms.

Among its proposals, the report calls for the British government to commission an official assessment every six months examining the socio-economic conditions of minority communities in Pakistan. It also advocates creating asylum pathways for religious minorities who have experienced persecution or abuse.

The document traces what it describes as both historical and contemporary discrimination against Hindus in Pakistan. According to the report, the Hindu share of the population has declined from 14.6% before Partition in 1947 to approximately 1.7% today.

It also examines the long-term consequences of policies introduced after the 1965 India-Pakistan war. The report states that many Hindus who fled Pakistan during that period lost ancestral properties and agricultural livelihoods through enemy property legislation, contributing to lasting economic hardship and poverty.

The report further argues that certain constitutional and institutional arrangements reinforce the marginalisation of minorities. It points to provisions requiring both the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan to be Muslim, which it says symbolise the unequal status of non-Muslim citizens within the state.

Additional concerns highlighted include attacks on Hindu temples, discrimination against minority communities, and cases involving forced marriages and forced religious conversions affecting Hindus and Christians. The report contends that despite the seriousness of these issues, “international media coverage has been notably scarce”.

The APPG's consideration of the report reflects broader debates in the UK regarding the protection of religious minorities worldwide and the role foreign aid and diplomatic engagement can play in encouraging improvements in human rights and religious freedom.

Agencies