I fear for myself and my family. With the police on their way to interrogate him, and fearing the violent fate that extremist Sunni groups in Pakistan inflict on those accused of blasphemy, last month Kareem and his family chose to disappear. The young man and two coconspirators were indicted, taken into government custody, and were awaiting trial at years end. The constitution directs the state to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of minorities, to secure the well-being of the people irrespective of creed, and to discourage sectarian prejudices. Police arrested several members of a neighboring Muslim family in connection with the incident. 3. Unofficial estimates vary widely with regard to the size of minority religious groups. According to the constitution, there shall be no discrimination on the basis of religion in appointing individuals to government service, provided they are otherwise qualified. The Sindh provincial cabinet adopted regulations to implement the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act in December 2019, which provided more specific rules for implementation. The constitution states that no person attending any educational institution shall be required to attend religious instruction or take part in any religious ceremony relating to a religion other than the persons own. Last week, in Punjab, police beat up and arrested 22 Shia Muslims, including seven women, who were taking part in a ceremony to mark a Shia martyr. Hindu Dalits remained vulnerable to human rights violations and pressure by perpetrators to withdraw police cases. 2. . The attackers relationship to organized terrorist groups was often unclear. Islamic and minority religious leaders endorsed the code. Shia and Ahmadi Muslims were the most often accused, accounting respectively for 70 and 20 percent of all cases. The constitution defines Muslim as a person who believes in the unity and oneness of Almighty Allah, in the absolute and unqualified finality of the Prophethood of Mohammed the last of the prophets, and does not believe in, or recognize as a prophet or religious reformer, any person who claimed or claims to be a prophet after Mohammed. It also states that a person belonging to the Christian, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, or Parsi community, a person of the Qadiani group or the Lahori group (who call themselves Ahmadis), or a Bahai, and a person belonging to any of the scheduled castes is a non-Muslim.. The girls family said they feared she had been forced to convert and marry a Muslim. Following petitions, the court reversed its decision and declared the marriage illegal under the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act and ordered the girl placed in a shelter after she refused to return to her parents. Minority rights activists said most government employment advertisements for janitorial staff continued to list being non-Muslim as a requirement. As of years end, the case was awaiting prosecution. The teacher survived the attack and told media the man had been following and harassing her for days. 03 / Select Countries You can add more than one country or area. February 27, 2023 . At first, they used hashtags, then killed us and rallied against us. This was part of an increase in anti-Shia activity that month nationwide that included the shooting of a prominent Shia religious leader in Punjabs Mandi Bahauddin District and the shooting of a Shia employee of the National Bank of Pakistan in Islamabad. Police took him into protective custody and transferred him to a senior police officers office as the mob blocked the Indus Highway and demanded police hand over the alleged blasphemer. By one estimate, in Pakistan, the Shias are. If Pakistan is unwilling to protect its Shia citizens, they may look to shia surnames in pakistan Also in September, according to law enforcement reports, Peshawar police rescued an Ahmadi family after a large mob gathered outside their home, accusing the family of preaching Ahmadi beliefs. At years end, she and her alleged husband had not appeared in court in Karachi, despite multiple court orders to do so. Shias adhere to the teachings of Islamic prophet Muhammad, but differ from Sunni in following the religious guidance of his family (who are referred to as the Ahl al-Bayt) or his descendants known as Shi'a Imams, whom they consider to be infallible. Subsequently, Arfana Mallah, a professor at Sindh University Jamshoro who criticized Soomros arrest and the blasphemy laws, was herself accused of committing blasphemy and had to apologize publicly. On October 20, HRCP reported that an Ismaili Muslim mosque in Ghizer was attacked by unknown assailants, who opened fire on the building. According to Pew Research Center, adherents of Shiite Islam in Pakistan make up between 15-20% of the country's total population. Sunni groups such as Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and Sipah-e-Sahaba,. 1 These two groups have been at odds for centuries. The Shia population in Pakistan is estimated as being 11.8% of the country's population. Her family said she had been kidnapped and forcibly converted. Minority religious leaders stated members of their communities continued to experience discrimination in admission to colleges and universities. Reports indicated parents and pastors were frequently paid by the traffickers for the women, and that some pastors were complicit in the trafficking. In September, unidentified gunmen killed two prominent members of the local Shia community in the Kohat District of that province. Ahmadi community leaders said they saw the requirement to designate Mohammed as last of the prophets as directly targeting them. Soomro was free on bail at years end, but the case was still pending in court. According to Ahmadi Muslim civil society organizations, the government failed to restrict advertisements or speeches inciting anti-Ahmadi violence, as provided for in the National Action Plan. The Special Adviser went on to meet with federal and provincial government officials and civil society leaders in Islamabad and Lahore. Shia (Shi'a) Muslim Countries - WorldAtlas Population: 233,500,636 (July 2017 est.) To seek office, Ahmadis would be forced to do so because by law they are considered non-Muslims, even though they self-identify as Muslim. Many social media users celebrated Naseems killing. Pakistan has the third largest Shia population after India and Iran. Members of parliament and officials of the Ministry of Human Rights and the Ministry of Law and Justice held consultations with church leaders from prominent Christian denominations and with NGO representatives, but the denominations, church leaders, and NGO representatives had not agreed on elements of the draft law pertaining to divorce and interfaith marriage by years end. The constitution also grants the FSC revisional jurisdiction (the power to review of its own accord) over criminal cases in the lower courts relating to certain crimes under the Hudood Ordinance, including rape and those linked to Islamic morality, such as extramarital sex, alcohol use, and gambling. The constitution states this requirement shall not affect the personal laws of non-Muslim citizens or their status as citizens. PDF Country Policy and Information Note Pakistan: Shia Muslims - GOV.UK However, violence is inevitable because the anger and anxiety on both sides seem to be mounting. On August 30, police charged Shia cleric Taqqi Jaffar with blasphemy for criticizing Mohammeds companions during a Karachi Muharram procession. The constitution states no person shall be required to take part in any religious ceremony or attend religious worship relating to a religion other than the persons own. In Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provinces, private schools are also required to teach Islamic studies and the Quran to Muslim students. Although sectarian data is difficult to pin down in Afghanistan, an estimated 15 to 29 percent of the population is Shia (mostly the Twelver sect that dominates the Islamic Republic, but also some Ismaili Shia). According to the 2017 census results, the population is 1.6 percent Hindu, 1.6 percent Christian, 0.2 percent Ahmadi Muslim, and 0.3 percent others, to include Bahais, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians. The Religious Affairs Ministry later issued a statement saying Ahmadis would not be included on the commission, given the religious and historical sensitivity of including Ahmadis in government institutions. The events were often covered by English and local-language media and featured anti-Ahmadiyya rhetoric which Ahmadiyya community representatives said could incite violence against Ahmadis. Both passed the recruitment test and had successful interviews but were denied appointment by the assistant manager. Qataris are all Muslims and followers of the Sunni Salafi version of Islam. Inflammatory anti-Ahmadi rhetoric continued to exist on social media and was at times spread by senior members of mainstream political parties. On August 23, the Sindh provincial government barred 142 firebrand speakers and religious scholars from leaving their home districts for 60 days to avoid violent disturbances during Shia Muharram commemorations. Under the 2016 Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony is responsible for reviewing internet traffic and reporting blasphemous or offensive content to the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority for possible removal or to the Federal Investigative Agency for possible criminal prosecution. What is the population of Shia in Pakistan in 2020? Their families believe they were taken into custody by the intelligence. According to eyewitnesses, police officials in at least four police vans cordoned off the area and arrested Soomro, who initially resisted. Christian advocates also called on the government to allow them to travel to Israel. Wafaqs (independent academic boards) register seminaries, regulate curricula, and issue degrees. Persons accused of blasphemy were often simultaneously charged with terrorism offenses. According to police, the content they posted on Facebook insulted the companions of Mohammed, which, they said, infuriated Sunni Muslims. Pakistan Population 2023 (Live) - worldpopulationreview.com Some activists reported receiving death threats because of their work. On November 20 in a rural area of Punjab, a teenage boy killed Ahmadi doctor Tahir Ahmad and seriously wounded three of his family members. Hindu activists in Sindh reported discrimination against the Hindu community during COVID-19 food-relief efforts by private charities. Two days later, the 21-year-old student found himself the subject of a police report, accused of violating Pakistans draconian laws on blasphemy. Members of religious minority communities stated public schools gave Muslim students bonus grade points for memorizing the Quran, but there were no analogous opportunities for extra academic credit available for religious minority students. Following the killing of Ahmadi physician Tahir Ahmad in November, the Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom posted an official tweet calling upon authorities to ensure the safety of all Pakistanis. Community leaders continued to report that the government hindered Ahmadis from obtaining legal documents and pressured community members to deny their beliefs by requiring individuals wishing to be listed as Muslim on identity cards and passports to swear Mohammed was the final prophet of Islam and the Ahmadiyya movements founder was a false prophet. Some politicians acknowledged privately the bill was intended to ensure textbooks identify Mohammed as the final prophet, thereby excluding Ahmadis from the definition of Islam taught in public schools. In May, the Federal Investigative Agency raided the Lahore home of Ahmadi missionary and youth worker Rohan Ahmad, arresting him on charges of cybercrime, blasphemy against the Quran, and propagating the Ahmadi faith through a WhatsApp group in September 2019. U.S. Government Policy and Engagement. Violence has not begun, but its likelihood looms large. Sources vary on the precise breakdown of the Muslim population between Sunni and Shia Muslims. The womans family said she was pregnant at the time of her suicide and that police initially refused to file charges against the man because of his caste. Shias account for 15-20% of the Muslim population in Pakistan. On November 23, the Sindh High Court dissolved the marriage of an underage Christian girl to a 44-year-old Muslim man. The anti-Shia Muslim campaign first began gathering pace on social media in September, demanding that Shia Muslims were declared heretics. A few Protestant groups conduct missions in Pakistan. On July 21, the government returned a 200-year-old Sikh gurdwara to the Sikh community in Quetta. There continued to be reports of attacks on holy places, cemeteries, and religious symbols of Hindu, Christian, and Ahmadiyya minorities. Similar to the previous year, some Sikh and Hindu places of worship reopened during the year. It is more accurate than the previous one. [6] As much as 90% of the population follows Sunni Islam. Sunnis represent approximately 75 percent of this population and Shias 20 . Shia Hazaras in Quetta, Balochistan, continued to express concern about targeted killings taking place for the last several years. Shia leaders, meanwhile, denounced the specific honors prescribed by the bill to Mohammeds companions, which they said risked stoking discord between Shia and Sunnis, given their fundamental disagreements over some of the companions status within Islam. Lawmakers from the National Assembly, the Sindh Provincial Assembly, and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Provincial Assembly also adopted resolutions requiring the title last of the prophets to be used when referring to Mohammed. The non-Pakhtun population of Pakistan is predominantly Barelvi. In July, police arrested four men for destroying a 1,700-year-old Gandharan civilization statue of Buddha in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a video showing one of the men hammering the statue went viral on social media. No arrests were made, and no one was charged. In addition to the large JUI-F conference and rallies, the Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami also held a large event in September in Peshawar; both parties criticized the PTI-led national government for failing to enforce Islamic law. The requirement that Muslim elected officials swear an oath affirming their belief that Mohammed is the final prophet of Islam continued to discourage Ahmadi Muslims from seeking public office. Sunni groups held three large rallies in Karachi in September, with speakers warning Shia Muslims of dire consequences, including beheadings, if they continued to blaspheme against the Prophet Mohammeds companions. Pakistan ranks number 5 in the list of countries (and dependencies) by population. The government continued its warnings against blasphemy and other illegal content on social media through periodic print advertisements and text messages sent by the Pakistan Telecommunications Authority (PTA). Wadi-e-Hussain: A graveyard for Pakistan's Shia victims The government may use the antiterrorism courts, established as a parallel legal structure under the 1997 Antiterrorism Act, to try cases involving violent crimes, terrorist activities, and acts or speech deemed by the government to foment religious hatred, including blasphemy. In all these cases, judges repeatedly delayed hearings, adjourned hearings without hearing arguments, or sent appeals to other judicial benches. 11.0%. Sectarian persecution of Shia Muslims has been a long-running fracture in Pakistan, exacerbated by the proxy wars fought on Pakistan soil by Sunni-majority Saudi Arabia and Shia-majority Iran, as well as the US war on terror. The government said Ahmadis could qualify for admission if they did not claim to be Muslims. I fear they will kill me, said Kareem, his voice shaking as he spoke from his place of hiding. Leaders in other NGOs agreed the actual number of blasphemy cases was likely higher, but uneven reporting and lack of media coverage in many areas made it difficult to identify an exact number. According to regulations, the only factors affecting admission to government schools are students grades and home provinces, although students must declare their religious affiliation on application forms. Pakistan's Perpetual Shia Shame - Baltimore Post-Examiner Blasphemy is a capital offence in Pakistan and even unsubstantiated allegations can lead to mob violence and lynchings against the accused. The girl remained in a government shelter for several months before returning to her parents. The constitution mandates that the government take steps to enable Muslims, individually and collectively, to order their lives in accordance with the fundamental principles and basic concepts of Islam and to promote the observance of Islamic moral standards. On August 22, another teenage Christian escaped from the home of Mohamad Nakash, a Muslim who had kidnapped her in April and had been holding her since. In contrast, even the baseless and fake cases from the other side are being entertained by police, she said. In August and September, increased security was provided throughout the country for the Shia communitys Muharram processions. Shia-Sunni rift on rise in Pakistan, but Imran Khan govt's - ThePrint The Shia population is spread all over Pakistan. In 2017, TLP was responsible for forcing a law minister to quit over a perceived softening in the blasphemy laws. Three suspects were arrested for the rape but were released on bail, and the girls family said they harassed and pressured the girl to withdraw the case. On January 30, police arrested two Shia men in Tando Mohammed Khan, southern Sindh, and charged them with blasphemy. It has an estimated 23 million people who adhere to Islam. Civil society groups continued to state that the blasphemy laws disproportionately affected members of religious minority communities. Reactions to the PTAs measure was mixed, with many social media users praising the decision to ban TikTok, but others concerned that the government could use this to target religious minorities. By years end, police had dropped the case due to lack of evidence and pressure from activists. Shias live in terror as sectarian violence increases in Pakistan Pakistan Population 1950-2023 | MacroTrends The government continued to implement the National Action Plan against terrorism, including countering sectarian hate speech and extremism as well as conducting military and law enforcement operations against violent groups. Responses to Information Requests - Immigration and Refugee Board - IRB Population of males is 106018220 and females is 101344632. Between 1998 and 2017, Pakistan's average population growth rate was 2.40%. Kuwait (City) The majority of Kuwaiti citizens are Muslim, with an estimated 60-70% Sunni and 30-40% Shia. Others said parliamentarians occupying reserved seats had little influence in their parties and in the National Assembly because they did not have a voting constituency. The court acquitted a second Christian in December. According to Ahmadiyya community leaders, authorities continued to target and harass Ahmadi Muslims for blasphemy, violations of anti-Ahmadi laws, and other crimes. Ayaz also spoke at a seminar on interfaith harmony at the cultural center at the National Library of Pakistan in Islamabad. In September, several religious groups from the Deobandi and Barelvi schools of Sunni Islam organized a series of rallies in Karachi to denounce Shia defamation of revered Sunni religious figures. In Sindh, police provided enhanced security at churches and Hindu temples, especially in Karachi, on eves of festivals such as Christmas and Diwali. On October 7, Dr. Qibla Ayaz, then chairman of the Council of Islamic Ideology, inaugurated a national code of conduct to promote interreligious harmony in the face of increased sectarian violence and mistreatment of religious minorities. Police intervened on multiple occasions to quell mob violence directed at individuals accused of blasphemy. The protesters said that when they opposed the illegal evictions of villagers, they were charged in fake cases by revenue officials. 2020, in July, 2020, Pakistani police arrested three LeJ operatives who were allegedly planning to carry out an attack in . The constitution states the government shall make Islamic studies compulsory for all Muslim students in state-run schools. In July, the Department of State issued a statement following the killing of Tahir Naseem expressing outrage over the killing and noting that Naseem had been lured from his home in the United States by individuals who used blasphemy laws to entrap him. Doha. Shiites are estimated to be 21-35 percent of the Muslim population in South East Asia. For example, the Lahore Waste Management Company continued to employ mainly Christian street sweepers, which HRCP criticized as the result of employment advertisements continuing to specify that religious minorities should apply. Identification cards are used for voting, pension disbursement, social and financial inclusion programs, and other services. By Rafiq A. Tschannen on October 11, 2020 ( 1 Comment) Shia-Sunni rift on rise in Pakistan, but Imran Khan govt's silence may be strategic . Pakistan's growing hatred of Shias - Kashmir Reader On December 30, a mob estimated at 1,000 people incited by a cleric attacked an historic Hindu temple site in Karak District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, destroying the shrine of Hindu saint Shri Paramhans Jee Maharaj and an adjacent building under construction. On July 13, hundreds of members of the Bheel community, including women and children, marched and demonstrated against the demolition of their homes by revenue officials whom they said were in collusion with an influential landlord of the area in Mithi, Sindh. note: provisional results of Pakistan's 2017 national census estimate the country's total population to be 207,774,000. country comparison to the world (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data): 5. Although the Sindh Hindu Marriage Act covers registration of Sikh marriages in that province, members of the Sikh community reportedly continued to seek a separate Sikh law so as not to be considered as Hindus for the purposes of the law. In late December, the PTA publicly used this new authority for the first time to demand the removal of sacrilegious content. According to the SATP, the number of sectarian attacks by armed groups continued to decrease, corresponding with an overall decline in terrorist attacks. Qatar. By law, madrassahs are prohibited from teaching or encouraging sectarian or religious hatred or violence. Sunni coalition to demand arrest of Shia clerics in Pakistan. op-ed - Churn in Ladakh: Hot political winds in a cold desert On September 7, the JUI-F party held a large Khatm-e-Nabuwat conference in Peshawar, with party leaders and national and provincial parliamentarians in attendance. We call upon authorities to ensure the safety of all Pakistanis.. According to civil society reports, there were many individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and at least 35 under sentences of death, compared with 82 individuals imprisoned on blasphemy charges and 29 under sentences of death in 2019. Most minority religious groups said they continued to face discrimination in government hiring. UAE: Arbitrary Targeting of Pakistani Shia Residents Print and broadcast media outlets continued to publish and broadcast anti-Ahmadi rhetoric. Karachi, the financial hub of Pakistan, has witnessed at least four big anti-Shia rallies since September 11, held by different Sunni groups. The world's largest population of Shia Muslims outside Iran is found in neighbouring Pakistan where they account for an estimated 15 to 20 per cent of the population. 4. In Islamabad, the deputy inspector general of police said as many as 15,000 police, Rangers, and Frontier Corps personnel were involved.
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