UN experts have slammed Pakistan for its lack of protection of Hindu and Christian women, expressing concern over forced marriages and religious conversions of girls from minority communities.
In a statement from the Office of the High Commissioner, United Nations Human Rights, the experts highlighted the vulnerability of Christian and Hindu girls to forced religious conversion, abduction, trafficking, child, early and forced marriage, domestic servitude, and sexual violence in Pakistan.
The experts emphasized that such heinous human rights violations and the impunity of the crimes cannot be tolerated or justified. They expressed concern that forced marriages and religious conversions of girls from religious minorities are often validated by the courts, with perpetrators escaping accountability.
The experts stressed that child, early, and forced marriage cannot be justified on religious or cultural grounds, and underlined that consent is irrelevant when the victim is a child under the age of 18.
They called for provisions to invalidate, annul, or dissolve marriages contracted under duress, and ensure access to justice, remedy, protection, and assistance for victims. The experts also urged Pakistan to uphold its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and prohibit forced religious conversions.
The statement concluded by urging Pakistan to bring perpetrators to justice, enforce existing legal protections against child, early and forced marriage, abduction, and trafficking of minority girls, and uphold the country’s international human rights obligations.