Islamabad, November 13: While the freedom to practice a religion of one’s choice is guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan and enshrined in the principles of Islam, allegations of forced conversions to Islam have not been substantiated with credible evidence.

This consensus emerged at the conclusion of a roundtable discussion on the “Dynamics of Faith Conversion in Pakistan,” organized by the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Islamabad. The event brought together researchers and scholars from sociology, anthropology, religious studies, and interfaith relations. Six research studies presented during the session provided empirical evidence from Sindh and South Punjab, regions where allegations of forced conversions are most frequent.

Dr. Qudsia Firdous of Riphah International University shared findings from her doctoral research, which involved an extensive study of Hindu-Muslim relations in Bahawalpur and Yazman. The perspective she developed after five years of fieldwork involving visits to mandirs, participation in Hindu festivals, and extensive interaction with the community was that both communities live together with “a remarkable degree of harmony.” Her survey of 100 respondents revealed no instances of forced conversions in the study area. An overwhelming majority of the respondents confirmed religious freedom to contradict the popular narrative of systematic coercion and........

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