State Of Religious Minorities In Pakistan And Their Concerns: A Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This article provides a methodical assessment of previously conducted experimental literature on the challenges faced by religious minorities in Pakistan, a religiously diverse country. Using inclusion criteria, studies conducted between 2010 and 2021 were identified. Their findings were examined, and relevant themes for the current study were generated. Religious freedom, media, social exclusion, extremism, education, economic deprivation, and the constitution were among the topics discussed. Forced conversion of women and girls, restricted religious freedom, educational discrimination, limited employment opportunities, social exclusion, and identity-based discrimination are among the issues discussed in the literature identified and included in the paper over the last decade. In short, their lives in the country are fraught with difficulties. Implications for research, policymaking, and interventions are also presented.