Pakistan Hindu Rights Body Seeks Constitutional Safeguards For Minorities In KP

A Hindu rights organisation in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has launched a province-wide campaign demanding the implementation of constitutional guarantees for minority protection, citing concerns over legal recognition, documentation, education and equal opportunities for vulnerable communities.

The All Balmik Hindu Community Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (ABHCKP) announced the initiative after unanimously electing minority rights activist Haroon Sarab Dayal as its president during a provincial consultative meeting in Kohat district.

Dayal, 55, who is a member of the Pakistan Hindu Temple Management Committee under the federal Ministry of Religious Affairs, said the Balmik Hindu community continues to face challenges related to legal protection, civil registration, education and access to equal opportunities.

The meeting brought together Hindu community elders, Balmik Sabha representatives, priests, religious scholars, lawyers, social activists, government officials, educationists, teachers, business representatives and youth leaders from across the province.

Dayal announced the formation of a provincial cabinet and an outreach campaign focused on youth and women’s participation, legal documentation, inheritance rights, policy advocacy and promotion of interfaith harmony.

The community urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to ensure implementation of Articles 9, 10, 20, 25, 27 and 36 of Pakistan’s Constitution, which deal with fundamental rights, religious freedom, equality and safeguards for minorities.

The demand comes amid broader efforts in Pakistan to strengthen minority protection mechanisms. Parliament passed the National Commission for Minorities Rights Bill 2025, which seeks to establish a statutory body to monitor minority rights, review policies and address complaints of rights violations. The legislation followed years of discussions, including a 2014 Supreme Court directive calling for an effective mechanism for protecting minority rights.

Legal reforms related to minority personal laws have also remained a key concern. The Hindu Marriage (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Amendment Bill 2026 was introduced in the provincial assembly, addressing issues linked to legal recognition and regulation of Hindu marriages.

Dayal called on the federal and provincial governments to speed up minority protection measures and appealed to human rights organisations, UN agencies, diplomatic missions and civil society groups to support vulnerable communities.

He is a founding member of the Pakistan Council of World Religions and a member of the National Lobbying Delegation for Minority Rights, and has worked on issues related to human rights and interfaith harmony.

According to Pakistan’s 2023 Digital Population and Housing Census, the Hindu population in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is around 5,090, with small clusters mainly in Peshawar, Kohat, Bannu, Dera Ismail Khan and parts of Hazara. The Hindu population in the province declined sharply after the 1947 Partition.