Daily Times

A welcome statement from the Premier of Pakistan that ‘the country would be minority friendly’ was widely lauded by most of the countrymen in and out of the Pakistan. He expressed his heartfelt feelings about minorities while inaugurating the renovation work of Katas Raj Hindu Temple, a national heritage and centre of Hindu faith in Pakistan. Hindus from all over the world wish to visit Katas Raj Temple. PM’s body language seemed emotional when he started with greetings to all minorities according to their way of life: Salam, Namaste, Sat Sri Akaal and Good Morning, etc. Along with the Prime Minister, on the stage, were sitting religious leaders representing various minorities living in the country. In his speech, the Prime Minister said, “I am the Prime Minister of all Pakistanis, of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians or people of any other religions.” Was not that encouraging to see the first ever political leader after Quaid-e-Azam who brought all minority and majority communities together at a platform signalling to the world that this was the way coteries with different faith allegiance were being treated in Pakistan? Probably the very speech was the second, after 11 August 1947 speech by the founder of Pakistan, which was camouflaged by right-wing religious activists. Instead, through the objective Resolution in 1949, the religious activists proclaimed that “the future constitution of Pakistan would not be modelled entirely on a European pattern, but on the ideology and democratic faith of Islam.” Indeed, Pakistan was created in the name of Islam, and there was nothing bad in bringing such a resolution that embodies one strong colour of the society. But shouldn’t have been at the cost of the negation of all golden principles of a truly democratic and non-theocratic state, carved out by the founder of Pakistan. Quaid-e-Azam was an unprecedented leader, who had the ability to peep through the centuries ahead for the newly born state. In his press conference on 14 November 1946, he said, “I am not fighting for Muslims, believe me, when I demand Pakistan. Pakistan and Hindustan alone will mean freedom to both Hindus and Muslims.” On another occasion, addressing to the Legislative Assembly in 1935 he said, “Religion should not be allowed to come into Politics… Religion is merely a matter between man and God.” After his sad demise, his thoughts and ideologies got tortuous by intentional whacks. In the words of Lord Louis Mountbatten, “The others could be persuaded, but not Jinnah. He was the one-man band.” Even his unsmiling adversaries appreciated his public persona and plain-sailing. Quaid said, “Character, courage, industry, and perseverance are the four pillars on which whole of the human superstructure can be built and the failure is a word unknown to me.” It was true that through his 11 August 1947 speech he proved himself as one national leader of all communities living in Pakistan.

Before partition, when a resolution was moved in the Punjab Assembly to decide whether the present Lahore and surrounding areas should go to India or Pakistan, a Christian politician, Diwan Bahadur, S.P. Singha, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly persuaded Christian members to vote in favour of Quaid-e-Azam led Muslim League. Dramatically, votes on both sides remained equal, but the casting vote of the Speaker led Muslim League to the victory. Right after independence, discrimination against ethnic minorities started, and during the last seventy years, this discrimination has turned to the persecution of minorities. Attacks on Churches forced conversions and marriages, false blasphemy charges, hate and prejudice found in school books, and non-electoral representation in the legislative assemblies are some of the dark realities minorities are facing in Pakistan. In 2016, ‘Open Door’, an International Christian Charity graded Pakistan at number 6 among country of severe persecution. However, in the new list of 2017, Pakistan has moved to number 4 among the top 21 countries where Christian persecution remains very high. Open Doors USA CEO David Curry speaking at press conference in Washington, D.C. on January 11, 2017, said, “In the top 21 countries on the Open Doors World Watch List, 100 percent of Christians experience persecution,” the fact sheet states. “Christians are a minority in all countries on the list, accounting for only 13 percent of the total population.”

The top 21 countries on the list include in this order: North Korea, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Eritrea, Libya, Nigeria, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, India, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Kenya, Turkmenistan, Qatar, and Egypt. Coincidently, this is the same date when at Katas Raj minorities programme, The Prime Minister of Pakistan was hoping to make Pakistan ‘a minority-friendly country’. The track record of PML-N is not supportive of the claims made by the Prime Minister. Just for refreshing memories, it was PML-N government when on 6 February 1997 thousands of fundamentalists attacked Shanti Nagar, a Christian Village near Khanewal, assuming all villagers as ‘blasphemers’. Some 800 houses and four Churches were destroyed. More than 2000 Christians were forced to flee. Both ‘Mian brothers’ visited the village, but perpetrators were never brought to justice. In 2009, a series of attacks on Christians were carried out by Islamists at Gojra, torching several houses and killing a number of Christians. Joseph Colony, Lahore incident is yet another example of minority persecution. In a number ofarticles, I have endeavoured to build a narrative that minorities are an important organ of the state, who must not be treated the way they suffer persistently. In the entire world, where minorities suffer, governments are held responsible. In Myanmar (Burma) Rohingya Muslims suffer at the hands of extremist Buddhists and the noble laureate lady Aung San Suu Kyi, a Champion of democracy and human rights is facing grinding criticism from all sides of the civilised world. The Katas Raj gathering was a ‘league of all religions’ under one tent but can we assume that the statement of His ExcellencyMian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, the Prime Minister of Pakistan to make Pakistan, a minority-friendly country’ was not a political one? To us, his speech was an echo of 11 August 1947. The content and phraseology of two speeches are homogeneous. Let us hope for practical steps by the government to fulfil the promise of a minority-friendly Pakistan.

The writer is a human rights activist and freelance columnist. He can be contacted at kaleem.dean@mail.com