By Dr. Emanuel Adil Ghouri
Pakistan is a country of followers of different ideologies and religions, with millions belonging to various faiths and sects. The religion of the vast majority is Islam. The country has faced religious and sectarian intolerance in every era, often leading to difficulties and the possibility of limiting religious freedom for followers of other religions.
Article 20 of the Constitution guarantees freedom to profess, practice, and propagate religion, but this is subject to “law, public order, and morality.” This article appears only in the Constitution’s text and does not seem to be applied in practice.
The Constitution of Pakistan declares Islam as the state religion, and all laws in the country must be in accordance with Islam. It also states that “every citizen has the right, subject to the Constitution, public law, and morality, to practice and propagate his religion or belief.”
Religious freedom—or freedom of religion or belief (FoRB)—is a fundamental human right that allows individuals or communities, in public or private, to have, manifest, change, or practice any religion or belief without coercion or discrimination. This includes both freedom of worship and the right not to profess any religion. It often requires state neutrality and protection against persecution, but the ruling class generally avoids confronting powerful religious forces.
Pakistan’s founder, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, made a detailed statement regarding the religious freedom of minorities in his historic speech on August 11, 1947, a few days before the formation of Pakistan: “You are free; you are free to go to your temples. You are free to go to your mosques or any other place of worship in this State of Pakistan. You may belong to any religion, caste, or creed—that has nothing to do with the business of the state.”
Many of Pakistan’s pro-government Christian religious leaders and government-loyal political leaders—MNAs and MPAs—often claim that minorities in Pakistan enjoy complete religious freedom.
My question to them is whether the freedom to go to church, build churches, and hold spiritual gatherings under the patronage of representatives of ruling political parties is the only thing that constitutes religious freedom, or whether there are other elements associated with it. Is the founder of Pakistan’s statement—you are free to go to your temples, mosques, and gurdwaras—limited only to this?
The burning of twenty-six churches in Jaranwala in just twelve hours on August 16, 2023; the desecration of the Holy Bible and the Holy Cross; the demolition of the homes of hundreds of Christians; and then the acquittal of the accused involved in these incidents by the courts represent a failure of the government and its institutions, and a clear restriction on the religious freedom of Christians. Christians who have been imprisoned or extrajudicially murdered in false blasphemy cases are deprived of religious freedom. Are the hundreds of Christian women who are forcibly converted and married off each year enjoying religious freedom? The forced conversion of minority women creates a dangerous environment, resulting in Pakistan being declared a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom.
How many Christian TV channels in Pakistan have been registered by PEMRA to broadcast programs based on the preaching of Christianity? Religious freedom means that Muslims can offer their prayers outside a railway station, bus stand, or hotel while traveling. On the other hand, a few years ago, a case was registered against a Christian family for singing Psalms at Rawalpindi Railway Station, and they were sent to Adiala Jail. Meanwhile, members of the Tablighi Jamaat enter the shops and offices of Christians and invite them to freely convert to Islam. This religious freedom is enjoyed only by them. Our job is to listen silently.
On several occasions, various international social organizations have described religious freedom for Christians in Pakistan as unsatisfactory. According to 2023–2024 reports, religious freedom in Pakistan is under serious and growing threat due to local violence, discriminatory laws, and forced conversions targeting minorities. The Center for Social Justice reported more than 329 cases of blasphemy in 2020, while the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) noted administrative failures in protecting places of worship and vulnerable communities.
Senior U.S. State Department officials—including the Ambassador, the Special Advisor on Religious Minorities in the Near East and South and Central Asia, the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and embassy officials—met with the Prime Minister’s Senior Advisor, the Minister for Human Rights, the Ministry of Law and Justice, and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony. In meetings with officials, the Ministry of Law and Justice and the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony discussed the need to end sectarian violence, ensure the protection of religious minorities, and prevent the misuse of blasphemy laws, including through the promotion of religious freedom.
Pakistan is among the ten countries that the international social organization Open Doors has declared unsafe for Christians, which damages Pakistan’s honor and dignity internationally. Therefore, the government of Pakistan should take practical steps to eliminate religious extremist tendencies in order to protect Christians and provide them with complete religious freedom.
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