Pakistan PM Imran Khan: Forced conversions are not part of Islam

On National Minority Day, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan decried the practice of forced conversions as 'un-Islamic', claiming that those who do so are unaware of the history of Islam. Additionally, he accepted that Pakistan has always neglected the region of Balochistan, admitting that 70% of the region is impoverished.

Addressing an event on the occasion of National Minority Day, Khan invoked Prophet Mohammed and said he gave religious freedom to minorities and protected their places of worship "because the Quran orders that there be no compulsion in religion. How can we then take it into our own hands to forcefully convert someone to Islam — either by marrying (non-Muslim) women or on gunpoint or to (by threatening to) kill someone because of their religion?" The Dawn quoted him as saying.

He added, "All these things are un-Islamic. If God had not given his messengers the power to impose their beliefs on someone, who are we (to do so)?"

Khan's comments came after Pakistan's independent human rights watchdog in April had raised concerns over the increasing incidents discrimination against minorities that form 1.6% of the population, including abductions and forced conversions and marriages of Hindu and Christian girls to Muslim men every year. Recently, Pakistan faced backlash after two minor girls Reena (15) and Raveena (13) were kidnapped, forcibly converted to Islam and married to Muslim men.

On Balochistan, he stated, "70% of people in Balochistan are under the yoke — in Sindh, Rajanpur district — these are the impoverished conditions. Why will they fight for Pakistan, when the state itself does not ask for its welfare? Similarly, there are untouchables. When we will give them full protection, when we will make them equal citizens?"

He also said that his government is committed to operationalising the Kartarpur corridor on the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

With inputs from agencies