The National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) of Pakistan has recently released a report, which exposes the harsh state of minority community children in the hands of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The children belonging to the minority community, especially those affiliated to Hindu and Christian community are suffering in the poisonous net of institutional bias, abductions and forced conversions. The report particularly coming from the NCRC, a government body, acts as solid evidence to the hypocritical and inhuman acts of the Pakistani state.
NCRC document titled, “Situation Analysis of Children from Minority Religions in Pakistan” exposes how institutional bias based on religious lines is an unsaid norm in the Pakistani state. Bias, neglect and targeted abuse has been a deep-rooted practice in the Pakistani society and minority community children are most vulnerable to this menace. Ironically, the report urges the Islamabad government to take immediate action and protect the children.
Series of abductions and forced conversions
The report by NCRC has uttered alarming facts regarding the fate of children adjoining to minority communities, specifically Hindus and Christians. Underage girls from the minority groupings are abducted and then forcibly converted into Islam, later desperately married to older men who belong to Muslim community.
The report also says that between April 2023 and December 2024, NCRC has received more than 27 official complaints pertaining to murder, abduction, forced conversions and child marriage. But the number of unnoticed and unregistered cases is far beyond the said numbers. Many victim families doesn’t dare to publicly speak and file complaints about the atrocities, as they fear of facing repercussions from the Pakistani authorities.
Punjab, the worst-hit province
As per the NCRC report, Punjab is the province that is massively hurt by the institutional bias and discrimination against children of minority communities. 40% of the total reported cases come from Punjab between January 2022 and September 2024. Among the victims, 547 children are Christians, 32 Hindus, 2 Ahmadis, 2 Sikhs and 99 other children are affiliated to various other communities.
Minority groups are pushed into bonded labour
Minority community children are forced into the menace of bonded labour. Especially Hindu and Christian children are compelled and tortured to work in brick kiln & agricultural fields. According to a report published by the Christian Post, Christian minority makes up to 1.27 per cent of Pakistan’s population and they not just are suffocating from the perils of discrimination but also has poor access to education and other basic necessities. Many minority families take loans from middlemen through illegal means, mortgage their menial savings in order to fulfill their basic needs such as food, housing, medical expenses, but later get cheated or further exploited.
Educational curriculum deepens the communal rift
Schools in Pakistan instead of being a bridge to build social harmony and unity, unfortunately acts as a platform to further deepen the communal rift and religious anxieties. NCRC report says, “Minority community children have to deal with a curriculum that could reinforce negative preconceptions, about their own religion. Isolation from the students’ of majority community, below-average academic achievement, large-scale school dropouts are the expected outcomes of the educational settings”.
The NCRC report has also criticized the system of Single National Curriculum of Pakistan for not addressing religious diversity and compelling the minority community children to study Islam based contents. “These children are the most marginalized facing societal stigma, stereotyping and structural exclusion”, said Pirbhu Lal Satyani, minority rights representative of NCRC. Meanwhile, the Chairperson of NCRC Ayesha Raza Farooq acknowledged the lack of ‘political will’ in protecting the rights of minority community.
NCRC report exposing the plight of minority community of Pakistan, reflects the country’s continued hypocritical acts, the religious radicalism shown by the rulers and inhuman approaches asserted to gratify religious motivations.
