Faisalabad: Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP) strongly condemns the continued rise in human rights violations targeting religious minorities across Pakistan. The latest cases received through the HRFP’s REAT Helpline, Regional Coordinators and other credible sources reveal an alarming pattern of violence, discrimination, impunity, and religious intolerance affecting Christians, Hindus, and other marginalized religious communities. 

Naveed Walter, President of Human Rights Focus Pakistan (HRFP), stated that the newly documented cases through fact findings mission trips expose persistent failures in protecting religious minorities and ensuring justice. The reports demonstrate a disturbing form of physical attacks, murders, sexual violence, forced displacement, abductions, forced conversions, attacks on places of worship, misuse of blasphemy laws, land-related conflicts, and discrimination against minority communities. 

Naveed Walter president HRFP said that the unbroken series of incidents reflects the government's inadequate response to addressing the security concerns and fundamental rights of religious minorities. "The state guarantees equality, religious freedom, and protection remain largely inaccessible to vulnerable communities who continue to suffer violence with no or limited accountability," he added. 

Naveed Walter said that the following cases documented through direct information by HRFP during recent weeks demonstrate the rising of religiously motivated violence, and insecurity faced by religious minorities throughout Pakistan: 

HRFP Fact Findings team visited local Church Pastor Afzal Masih who was brutally attacked on July 13, 2026, in Faisalabad following a dispute over a blocked sewage drain. While leaving in the morning for work, Pastor Afzal noticed sewage water overflowing into the street, entering the nearby Christians graveyard and the front of his house. During clearing the blockage, Pastor Afzal was verbally abused first by Muhammad Akbar and Muhammad Arshad and then they attacked on him with an iron rod, struck him repeatedly with an axe on his arm and head, leaving him seriously injured when the witnesses Kawash and Ishtiaq intervene to save his life. First Information Report (FIR) has registered by Pastor Afzal with the request of protection from the threats of perpetrators. HRFP condemns this violent attack and urges authorities to ensure the immediate arrest and prosecution of all perpetrators. HRFP team interviewed Pastor Afzal, his wife Rehana while visiting for support, founds that the recent attack is based on the previous conflict being Pastor. 

HRFP Fact Findings team visited the bereaved family of Khalid Masih, a Christian youth who was murdered under suspicious circumstances by the local men known by him. During the visit, HRFP collected the facts and evidence of the Khalid Masih’s murder motives and observed the case as religiously motivated. Khalid Masih’s mother Ashraf Bibi 

shared with HRFP team that he was kidnapped four days before the incident. Police don’t find him and on July 16, 2026, his dead body was thrown in front of area’s marble factory, and the post-mortem examined has proved he was violently murdered. First Information Report (FIR) has registered as “unidentified” rather than with the name of Khalid Masih being victim. While visiting family, HRFP expressed the solidarity with possible assistance urged authorities to ensure family’s protection and justice. 

HRFP Fact findings team collected facts, evidence and documents on the following recent issues as well; 

On July 18, 2026, in Dera Ghazi Khan, sanitation workers, the majority of whom belong to the Christian community, staged a protest against the prolonged non-payment of their salaries. The workers reported severe financial hardship as they continued to perform essential sanitation duties without receiving wages for several months. HRFP emphasized that delayed salaries constitute a violation of workers' rights and disproportionately affect marginalized minority communities engaged in sanitation services. 

On July 21, 2026, in Karachi, HRFP found that a Christian laborer Rashid Masih sustained severe burn injuries after boiling cooking oil was thrown on him in hatred just asking for a single bread when employed denial to pay wages after work completion. Rashid Masih was a laborer in "Irshad Biryani" restaurant from sometime on daily wages. 

On July 9, 2026, in Karachi, some people attempted to trap a Christian man, Azeem Javed, by mailing a burnt page of the Holy Quran along with photographs of Azeem and his mother to a local Muslim shopkeeper. The incident triggered violent protests in Baldia Town, forcing the Christian family into hiding due to fears of mob violence. HRFP expresses grave concern over the increasing trend of fabricated blasphemy accusations that endanger innocent lives and fuel religious hatred. 

On July 12, 2026, in Karachi, Dr. Akash Kumar, a Hindu doctor, was shot dead shortly after withdrawing cash from a bank in Clifton near Teen Talwar. HRFP notes that while authorities have promised prosecution, the incident reflects the growing insecurity faced by minority citizens and calls for effective measures to protect vulnerable communities. 

On July 20, 2026, in Khhipro, district Sanghar, Hindu family members and residents staged a highway protest by placing the body of Bhero Bheel on the road after his murder. Protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the suspects and an impartial investigation into the killing. HRFP urges authorities to ensure the protection of Hindu community and justice to victim’s family without delay. 

On April 28, 2026, in Hyderabad, some people vandalized portions of the historic Kali Mata, Hindus Temple located in Fateh Chowk. The attack caused outrage among the Pakistani Hindu community and raised concerns regarding the protection of minority places of 

worship and religious heritage. HRFP calls for restoration of the temple, safety & security of minority temples and accountability for those responsible for the attacks. 

On April 24, 2026, in Vehari, aged 13 a Christian girl Maryam Asif Masih, was abducted by an individual identified as Muhammad Kashif. Her family said she has been abducted to forced religious conversion and forced marriage. HRFP calls for her immediate recovery, protection, and prosecution of those involved in this crime, and others same issues against minor girls belonging to religious minorities 

On April 15, 2026, Muqadas Masih aged 14 with her younger sister Zarish aged 8 disappeared from Sadiqabad while running a simple errand in Punjab, Pakistan. HRFP found that four days later, they were discovered to police in Karachi in critical condition. Muqadas did not survive by abuse of her captors while her 8-year-old sister Zarish reunited. 

On June 5, 2026, in Chenab Nagar (Rabwah), a gunmen opened fire outside the Mosque, targeting members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim community. Three members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community were wounded, two of whom were in critical condition. HRFP strongly condemns the continued targeted violence and urges authorities to provide protection to vulnerable religious communities. 

On May 27, 2026, in Karachi, police confiscated sacrificial goats from Ahmadiyya’s households ahead of Eid-ul-Adha celebrations, stopping members of the Ahmadiyya community from practicing their religious traditions. HRFP considers such restrictions discriminatory and contrary to the constitutional guarantee of freedom of religion or belief. 

On June 17, 2026, in Mardan, an elderly Sikh couple, Jagannath and Asma Wanti, were shot dead inside a gurdwara in Babu Mohalla. HRFP observed that the double murder has intensified fear among Pakistan's Sikh community and emphasizes the urgent need for improved security for minority places of worship and their congregations. 

HRFP added that the misuse of blasphemy affects not only minorities but the general public’s right to expression as well. A new example is of known journalist Rehan Tariq who was accused of blasphemy on July 8, 2026, and just on July 21, 2026, in Lahore, a local Sessions Court granted him post-arrest bail. The court accepted the defense's argument that while conducting interviews and asking questions to an Islamic cleric was a part of job. HRFP reiterates its concern over the misuse of blasphemy allegations to intimidate journalists, silence dissent, and create fear within society. 

Naveed Walter president HRFP said the reported incidents reflect a serious decline in the human rights situation for religious minorities in Pakistan. He highlighted ongoing issues such as violence, false blasphemy accusations, attacks on places of worship, forced displacement, sexual violence, labor exploitation, and impunity affecting Christians, Hindus, Ahmadiyya’s, Sikhs, and other marginalized communities. He called on the Pakistani government to take urgent legislative, administrative, and judicial action to ensure accountability, strengthen protections, and uphold constitutional and international commitments to freedom of religion or belief. Human Rights Focus Pakistan continues to document abuses, support victims, advocate for legal reforms, and promote equal rights, justice, and protection for vulnerable minorities.