In Pakistan, a church in the Raiwind area of Punjab province came under attack recently as a person forcibly entered the Christian place of worship and carried out an act of destruction that has sparked fear among the Christian community in the country. Religious leaders and community representatives have demanded stronger protection for places of worship and accountability for those who carry out such hate-driven acts. 

 

According to an FIR, the attacker entered the church unlawfully and caused damage in the building. Several windows in the building were reportedly smashed while sacred items were torn apart. Local Christians said it is a direct assault on their faith, identity, and right to practice religion freely and safely. 

 

Religious minorities in Pakistan face systemic discrimination and entrapment in fabricated blasphemy allegations, mob violence, targeted killings, land grabbing, forced conversions, arbitrary detention, and damage to property. On 26th December last year, a 15-year-old Hindu girl was abducted from Sindh province, forcibly converted to Islam, and married to a man who was already married. 

 

Earlier, on 6th December, a Hindu woman and her minor daughter were kidnapped by armed men from Karachi’s Sher Shah area. Similarly, a Pastor was shot dead by armed men in Punjab’s Gujranwala. According to the Human Rights Observer 2025, at least 421 cases of abduction and forced conversion of minority girls and women were reported in Pakistan between January 2021 and December 2024. The victims included 282 Hindu girls, 137 Christian girls and two Sikh girls.