Human Rights Crisis In Pakistan

The Asian Human Rights Commission reports that Pakistan’s blasphemy law continues to claim victims, while outrages against human rights tolerated by the government and court system include the forced conversion of almost 2,000 Hindu and Christian girls, many of whom were kidnapped and raped. At least 161 people were indicted and nine were killed in extrajudicial executions in 2011 because of accusations of blasphemy that “are false in 95 percent of cases.” The commission documented the killing of 18 human rights activists and 16 journalists last year. Among the 2011 victims were Punjab’s Governor Salman Taseer and the federal minister for minorities, Shabhaz Bhatti. These “murders [were] committed by religious extremist groups infiltrated in the police force,” according to the commission.