The Cost of Silence: Analysing the Historical and Ongoing Persecution of Hindus in Pakistan.
The Hindu population in Pakistan has endured decades of persistent persecution and a consistent degradation of its fundamental rights and physical safety.
Prior to Partition and according to the 1941 Census of India, Hindus constituted approximately 14.6% of the population in the region that became West Pakistan (now Pakistan). However, this figure has seen a precipitous decline at the time of, and following, Partition. The Hindu population in Pakistan has now dropped to around 1.7%, and recent data suggests the community remains a marginalised part of the population. This demographic collapse serves as a stark indictment of the “tolerance” often touted by the state. If Pakistan were truly a pluralistic society that protected the rights of its minorities, such a drastic and sustained depletion of the Hindu community would not have occurred.
Hindus in Pakistan have been the victims of recurring, targeted attacks that trace back to the country’s inception. Following the 1947 riots, the community has faced periodic waves of violence. Beyond physical violence, the state has facilitated the economic disenfranchisement of Hindus. For instance, through the application of the Enemy Property Act, land belonging to Hindu families who fled or were displaced has been seized by the state. This institutionalised “land-grabbing” has systematically stripped the community of its ancestral property and agricultural livelihoods, forcing an estimated hundreds of thousands of households into a cycle of poverty and displacement.
The international community must recognise that Pakistan has already become a stark example of state-sponsored intolerance, leading to the persecution of its minorities. Such intolerance is a fundamental aspect of the Pakistani state and its constitution. For example, articles 41 and 91 of Pakistan’s constitution stipulate that the Prime Minister and President of Pakistan must be Muslim. In 2019, Pakistan’s parliament blocked a bill seeking an amendment to the constitution that would have allowed an individual following a minority to hold these positions. In addition, the government of Pakistan requires the inclusion of religion on passports, reflecting the state’s religious classification system.
It is also an incredible fact that the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad, does not have a functioning mandir (temple) that can be used by the Hindu community. The construction of a Hindu temple in Islamabad was stopped in 2020 following protests by Islamists despite permission being granted by the authorities, and it has still not been built. At present, Hindu residents of Islamabad have to go to Rawalpindi, which is over 40 kilometres away, to find the nearest accessible temple.
The proliferation of Islamist extremism and militant violence has not only targeted minorities but has also threatened the very fabric of regional stability. By failing to protect its Hindu citizens, Pakistan risks further descent into a cycle of radicalisation. The ongoing atrocities within Pakistan require immediate global scrutiny to prevent a total humanitarian collapse for its remaining religious minorities.
Policy Recommendations
RAISE minority protection benchmarks in all UK-Pakistan dialogues and bilateral talks, requesting time-bound action plans (temple protection, fast-track prosecutions, and justice).
IMPLEMENT conditions on funding allocated from the UK government to provide foreign aid to the state of Pakistan.
RING-FENCE a portion of any funding from the UK government for organisations in Pakistan that protect the rights of minorities and organisations that administer places of worship of minorities.
RESERVE two posts at the British High Commission in Pakistan for members of minority communities, so that any abuses of human rights can be brought to the attention of the UK government without delay.
COMMISSION an official report every six months documenting the socio-economic state of Hindu, Christian, Sikh, Jewish, and other minority communities in Pakistan.
PROVIDE asylum pathways and safe havens for religious minorities in Pakistan who have fallen victim to forced conversion, religious persecution and political oppression.
PROVIDE victims and their families with government support, calling on:
- The UK’s Foreign Secretary
- Prime Minister’s Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief
- Prime Minister’s Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict
- Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Indo-Pacific
Media and UK Parliament coverage
- UK Parliament | UK Parliament calls out persecution of Hindus and other religious minorities in Pakistan
- Times of India | UK parliamentary group to raise persecution of Hindus in Pakistan with UK govt https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/uk/uk-parliamentary-group-to-raise-persecution-of-hindus-in-pakistan-with-uk-govt/articleshow/135278420.cms
- NDTV World | Report Flags How Pakistan’s Hindu Population Fell From 14.6% To Under 2% https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/report-flags-how-pakistans-hindu-population-fell-from-14-6-percent-to-under-2-percent-12251385
- WION News | Hindu population in Pakistan plummets
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DfFo9oRh0bL - ZEE News | Hindu population in Pakistan declines from 14.6% to less than 2% https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1597296222437837
- DNA India | Hindu population in Pakistan declines from 14.6% to less than 2% https://www.instagram.com/p/DfESiAqDFOH
- Times Axis and Times of India | Pak’s Hindu Crisis Deepens: New Report Red Flags Forced Conversions, Violence, Vanishing Temples https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FhsgLy-EUs
- The Sunday Guardian | Report on Vanishing Hindus of Pakistan Presented in UK Parliament https://sundayguardianlive.com/news/top-5/report-on-vanishing-hindus-of-pakistan-presented-in-uk-parliament-315123/
