Human rights: Minorities not being protected, says HRCP

Targeted killings, kidnappings for ransom, violence, intimidation has shaken the faith of minorities.

KARACHI: Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Chairperson Zohra Yousuf has expressed concern regarding the growing problems faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, saying the growing threats to them have compounded due to failure to officially take measures to address them. She presented an HRCP report on ‘Communities Vulnerable because of their Beliefs’ at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club. “Targeted killings and kidnappings for ransom, violence and intimidation on account of faith has shaken the faith of religious minorities in the state’s ability to effectively protect them,” she asserted. “Members of the Hindu and Hazara community in Balochistan, in particular, had felt compelled to seek sanctuary abroad,” she added.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2011.