NCHR’s project relied on studies that identified the numerous challenges facing each of these communities. Reports on status of women in the Hazara community of Balochistan revealed that families had faced over 2800 targeted attacks in the last decade, resulting in the loss of more than 3000 members of the community. The majority of women who had lost family members in the numerous ethnic attacks reflected high levels of depression and despondency. Alarming reports from Chitral showed a similar rise in mental health issues and suicide among young women of the area with 103 cases of suicide reported over the past three years – the highest in Pakistan.22 Similarly, in Lyari, a hotbed of poverty and gang warfare, women faced huge insecurities in navigating public space and addressing urban violence. This project fell under NCHR’s mandate as per Sec 9 (e) of the enabling legislation to review factors that inhibit the enjoyment of human rights and it aimed to create awareness to build a more inclusive society where women and girls could thrive. f. Upholding Inclusivity – Minority Rights Initiative: The NCHR has published its Minority Rights report which outlines all activities undertaken by the Commission pursuant to each of its mandates. It outlines the following:23  Between January 2022 and July 2023, the NCHR undertook 133 cases concerning the protection of minority rights. These cases included 76 complaints and 57 suo motu actions. The highest number of cases were in Punjab, and the second highest were concentrated in Sindh.  NCHR recognizes that young women and girls belonging to minority communities are disproportionately subjected to violence and harmful practices included child marriage and forced abductions. To this end, the Commission has engaged with relevant departments to instate a minimum age of 18 for marriage. With regards to forced marriages, the NCHR has emphasized the need for stringent penalties. It has also established a Marriages Rights Helpline 1412 as a resource that provides detailed advice regarding marriage rights.  NCHR has taken various suo motu notices of forced marriages and abductions of girls who were forced to convert to Islam. Due to the intervention of the Commission, relief has been provided to the victims and their families.  NCHR has also taken various suo motu notices of desecration of religious property belonging to minorities. Through these notices the Commission has called upon concerned authorities to provide reports on how the matter was investigated. 22 “Chitral’s troubling suicide problem”, available at: https://tribune.com.pk/story/2327853/chitrals-troubling-suicide-problem “NCHR: Upholding Inclusivity: Minority Rights Initiatives 2022-2023,” available at: https://nchr.gov.pk/wpcontent/uploads/2023/09/Upholding-Inclusivity-Minority-Rights-Initiatives-2022-2023.pdf 23 13