A damning new assessment from Open Doors’ World Watch List 2026 ranks Pakistan 8th globally for Christian persecution, painting a picture of unrelenting harassment including violence, forced Islamization, slavery-like labor, and assaults on women. State apathy leaves this vulnerable community exposed, as detailed in the report launched amid European parliamentary scrutiny.
Presented in Brussels on January 27, 2026, under the auspices of the Religious Freedom Intergroup chaired by MEPs Miriam Lexmann and Bert-Jan Ruissen, the event featured stark testimonies. Activist Joseph Johnson from Pakistan laid bare the hypocrisy: even post-2025 child marriage reforms, girls from Christian families are routinely kidnapped, converted forcibly, and wed to abductors, with judges favoring religious edicts over secular statutes.
The scourge of misused blasphemy statutes fuels tragedy after tragedy. Fabricated charges ignite furious crowds, destroy places of worship, and trap innocents in legal purgatory. The 2023 Jaranwala carnage—25+ churches razed—stands as a grim emblem, with zero convictions to date.
Hardline outfits like TLP operate with virtual impunity, their influence unchecked by authorities. Jailed faith-based detainees endure without trial, survivors denied justice, perpetuating a vicious cycle. This 8th-place ignominy on the 50-nation list underscores Pakistan’s failure to shield its Christians, prompting calls for robust international intervention to enforce human rights norms.
