What happened
A legislative bill seeking five years in prison for perpetrators of forced conversions was formally submitted to the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, Dawn reported.
Falbous Christopher, chairman of the assembly’s Standing Committee on Minority Affairs, submitted the Punjab Protection of the Rights of Religious Minorities Bill 2026 as a private member’s initiative. The bill will now be referred to the Standing Committee on Minority Affairs for discussion and review before it can be tabled in the provincial assembly.
Under the proposed law, whoever “compels or attempts to compel” a person belonging to a religious minority, through threats, undue influence or coercion, to change their religion “shall be punishable with imprisonment which may extend to five years and with fine,” according to the draft. Voluntary conversions without such pressure were excluded.
The bill also empowers the judiciary to act in cases of forced marriage involving minorities, allowing courts to issue protection orders under applicable marriage, child protection and guardianship laws, and requiring that a marriage be voided only by court order. It prohibits religious discrimination in education, employment, access to public places and the provision of services, and calls for a review of the provincial curriculum to identify material that promotes hatred, intolerance or discrimination.
It further mandates the protection of minority religious sites and property, making it an offence to damage, desecrate or unlawfully occupy a place of worship. Offences motivated by religious hatred are treated as aggravated, with courts able to weigh religious motivation at sentencing, and the offences are cognisable and triable under criminal procedure.
Senator Khalil Tahir Sandhu said the legislation reflected the Constitution’s guarantees of equality and protection for all citizens and described addressing forced conversions through law as a long-overdue step, The Express Tribune and The Nation reported.
Why it matters
Punjab is Pakistan’s largest province, and forced conversion of members of religious minorities — particularly Christian and Hindu women and underage girls — has been a long-running human-rights concern that earlier legislative attempts failed to resolve. The bill’s authors drew a clear line between coerced and voluntary conversion, a distinction aimed at answering objections that such laws would restrict freedom of religion.
The submission comes shortly before an upcoming Punjab Assembly session and, according to The Nation, follows a significant ruling by the Constitutional Court on minority rights that gave fresh momentum to the legislative effort. Because the bill is a private member’s initiative, its path depends on the standing committee and then the full house.
What is still uncertain
Whether the Standing Committee on Minority Affairs will approve the bill, and how quickly it might reach the floor, is not yet clear. The practical test of the proposal will be how courts distinguish forced from voluntary conversion and what standard of proof is applied in forced-marriage inquiries. No date has been announced for the committee’s review.
Sources & reporting notes
This is a synthesis of published reporting, not eyewitness coverage. Sources were reviewed on 1 April 2026.
- Dawn — Bill seeking up to 5 years in prison for perpetrators of forced conversion submitted in Punjab Assembly31 March 2026 · The bill's submission, its penalty, the voluntary-conversion exclusion, court protection orders and the curriculum and anti-discrimination provisions.
- The Express Tribune — Private bill seeks to curb forced conversions, protect minorities in Punjab Assembly31 March 2026 · The bill's scope, the penalties and Senator Khalil Tahir Sandhu's comments.
- The Nation — Punjab moves to criminalise forced conversions of minorities1 April 2026 · Detail on forced-marriage provisions, protections for places of worship and the reference to the Constitutional Court ruling on minority rights.
